Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,258 in Kent, South East.
Sandwich grades C− overall against UK towns: better than 16% of UK towns, and #67 of 87 in Kent. Its strongest subject is walkability (A−): 21% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is safety (D): 42.7 violent and sexual offences and 15.9 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Among UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, it has less crime per resident than 10%. The median home sold for £340,000 in the last three years, 6.5 times what households in the Dover council area earn in a year.
The 3 things Sandwich does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Sandwich is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists 439 buildings inside Sandwich’s built-up area, 7 of them Grade I, and 9 scheduled monuments.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
The archive holds a map from 1792.
Explore the history →Sandwich, Massachusetts, is named after Sandwich.
USUS editionSandwich, Massachusetts, settled in 1637, takes its name from this town.
Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sandwich. Best known first.
MuseumWhite Mill100 m outside town, to the northwest
Abbey or prioryMinster in Thanet Priory4.8 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumSandwich Medieval Centrein townHistoric siteHistoric siteThe Barbican Gatein townHistoric siteHistoric siteRichborough Fort600 m outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sandwich.
Sandwich sits above both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. Under-15s account for 13% of the population. The median resident of Sandwich is 54 years old.
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| Sandwich | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandwich Junior SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 222 | A− |
| Sandwich Technology SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,104 | D− |
| Sir Roger Manwood's SchoolTop results in townSecondary | Secondary | 981 | A |
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Sandwich has 439 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 7 Grade I, 26 Grade II*. For its size, Sandwich has 1,031 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above both Kent’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39). Sandwich’s listed buildings include Chapel of St Bartholomew, Grade I.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Violent crime ran at 42.7 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Kent’s towns (23.9) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 266 crimes inside Sandwich’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 72 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 55% 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
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 30% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Sandwich below both Kent’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). 3.5% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
On this, Sandwich is above both Kent’s towns (65%) and England’s towns (61%). 16% of households rent privately.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £463,000 | 64 |
| Semi-detached | £318,000 | 90 |
| Terraced | £300,000 | 85 |
| Flat or maisonette | £260,000 | 32 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
In the comparison, Sandwich comes below both Kent’s towns (82%) and England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Sandwich is Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, 7.7 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 | Sandwich | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
439 listed buildings in Sandwich, 7 of them Grade I.
The Salutation: Photo: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chapel of St Bartholomew: Photo: David Anstiss · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Warehouse (Gardeners): Photo: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Keep: Photo: Tilman2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
16 notable people were born in Sandwich.
George W. M. Reynolds: Reynolds's Miscellany, Public domain · Edward Nairne: Edward Nairne (author), Public domain · Richard Vesey Hamilton: Fradelle and Young/UK Government, Public domain · George Ent: Robert White, CC BY 4.0 · Roger Manwood: George Perfect Harding, Public domain · Sir John Mennes: Anthony van Dyck, Public domain
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandwich | 4,258 | — | C− | C− | D | C+ |
| Eastry | 2,388 | 2.1 | — | C | B+ | C+ |
| Ash (Dover) | 2,529 | 2.5 | B− | C− | C | B+ |
| Cliffs End | 1,284 | 4.1 | — | D− | C− | B− |
| Deal | 28,992 | 4.6 | D | C+ | C | C |
| Minster (Thanet) | 4,739 | 4.8 | D− | D− | D | C+ |
| Wingham | 1,313 | 5.2 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Ramsgate | 42,031 | 5.7 | D | D | D− | D |
Eastry, Cliffs End and Wingham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 42.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Chapel of St Bartholomew. It also has 9 scheduled monuments.
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Town in Kent, England
Sandwich is a built-up area of 4,258 people, in the Dover 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.