Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 813 in Kent, South East.
Rolvenden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
The 3 things Rolvenden does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 45 buildings inside Rolvenden’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I.
38% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Rolvenden. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustSmallhythe Place4.6 km outside town, to the east
GardenHole Park Gardens1.3 km outside town, to the northwestHeritage railwayHeritage railwayKent and East Sussex Railway3.8 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumRolvenden Layne Sound Museum1.1 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumTenterden District Museum3.7 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rolvenden.
Rolvenden sits above both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. 7.7% of residents are aged 15 to 24. Rolvenden has a median age of 49.1.
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Rolvenden | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolvenden Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 90 | A− |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Rolvenden below both Kent’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (27%). 86% of commuters drove to work at the census.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
On this, Rolvenden is above both Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). 56% of households own their home.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £580,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £377,500 | 10 |
| Terraced | £289,950 | 9 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
In the comparison, Rolvenden comes above both Kent’s towns (12.3) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 39 crimes inside Rolvenden’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 44% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
For Rolvenden, that is above both Kent’s towns (5.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Rolvenden has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.8 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
| Census 2021 | Rolvenden | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.1% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Rolvenden’s listed buildings include Parish Church of St Mary, Grade I. Rolvenden has 45 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 2 Grade II*. Conservation areas cover 100% of Rolvenden’s land, above both Kent’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (7%).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
3 notable people were born in Rolvenden.
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolvenden | 813 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Benenden | 1,409 | 2.5 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Tenterden | 7,775 | 3.1 | C | C− | C | B+ |
| Northiam | 1,910 | 3.9 | — | D− | A− | B− |
| Biddenden | 1,345 | 4.4 | — | C | C+ | A− |
| Cranbrook | 3,962 | 5.1 | B | C+ | C− | B |
| Hawkhurst | 3,683 | 5.3 | B+ | C+ | C | B+ |
| Woodchurch | 1,201 | 6.5 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
Benenden, Northiam, Biddenden and Woodchurch have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 22.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Parish Church of St Mary. 38% of Rolvenden’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £345,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £289,950, semi-detached houses £377,500 and detached houses £580,000. Private rents in the Ashford council area averaged £1,248 a month in August 2026.
Village in Kent, England
Rolvenden is a built-up area of 813 people, in the Ashford council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.