Seal’s story
37 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Seal’s built-up area.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SealKent
A village of 1,616 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Whippet · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,616
Census 2021 · Sevenoaks council
Median home
£570K
75 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.1
22% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
40%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
22%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Seal a good place to live?
Seal has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is walkability (A−): 22% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is cost of living (D): median sale £570,000, 8.3 years of area income; rent £1,809 a month.
What makes Seal stand out
The 3 things Seal does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
37 listed buildings
1 Grade I, including Church of St Peter and St Paul; 9.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.1 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£1,809 a month
Average private rent, 31% of what households in the area earn: more than in 97% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Sevenoaks council area.
How Seal grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Seal is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityA−Open →SafetyB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 92% of towns in England; secondary results beat 38% of towns in EnglandB+Open →Hazard risk0.9% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 80.9 for men, 83.1 for womenBOpen →Jobs & income2.8% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryA−Open →Outdoors78% live within 400 m of a park; 77% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeB+Open →Civic life3.1 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryAOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Seal.
HousingCost of living grade D
Private renting is less common in Seal than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 11%
Seal sits below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%) on this measure. Social housing holds 22% of households.
£570Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Seal£570K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £805,200 | 17 |
| Semi-detached | £496,000 | 13 |
| Terraced | £434,500 | 22 |
| Flat or maisonette | £900,000 | 23 |
62%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,809
average private rent a month, Sevenoaks council area
£2,465
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
SchoolsB+
Results at Seal’s schools beat 68% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
B+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seal Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 317 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Much of Seal is a conservation area: 100% of its land, more than Kent’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 100% of Seal’s land, above both Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (7%). Seal has 229 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. Seal’s listed buildings include Church of St Peter and St Paul, Grade I.
37listed buildingsA−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II36
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Peter and St Paul Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
22%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
229
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Households in Seal earn more than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: £72K a year
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 44% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Seal above both Kent’s towns (£61K) and England’s towns (£55K). 44% of workers worked mainly from home at the census.
22%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving76%
Train10%
On foot8%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
Underground, tram1%
41%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
44%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£72K
mean household income, before tax
2.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A−
Walkability: more walkable than 82% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Violent crime runs low in Seal: 15.1 per 1,000 residents a year, under Kent’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Seal is below both Kent’s towns (24.1) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 49 crimes inside Seal’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 13 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 55% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
15.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 52% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual27
Vehicle crime6
Damage & arson5
Other theft5
Burglary2
Other crime2
Public order1
Drugs1
Anti-social13
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.
15.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
49
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Seal than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.1% of residents
In the comparison, Seal comes below both Kent’s towns (5.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Seal has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.2 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.
82%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Seal | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.1% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
80.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Seal than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 40% of adults
For Seal, that is above both Kent’s towns (29%) and England’s towns (34%). Children under 15 make up 20% of residents. Half the people of Seal are older than 45.1.
45.1median age
SealKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level40%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Seal | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.8% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 40% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Knole House and 7 more in and around Seal
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Seal. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustKnole House2.4 km outside town, to the south
Historic house · National TrustIghtham Mote4 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic houseRiverhill House4.4 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumShoreham Aircraft Museum4.8 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumSevenoaks Museum2.3 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionLavender Plantation2.8 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Knole House: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ightham Mote: Brian Snelson, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Riverhill House: Oast House Archive, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Seal
14pages on Seal
The big questions
SafetyB+15.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £570K · rent £1,809 a monthHousing26 sold in 12 months · busiest street Wildernesse AvenueSchoolsB+1 state schoolHealthBLife expectancy 80.9 (men), 83.1 (women)Work & commuteB60% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Seal’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Otford and KemsingSevenoaksDunton GreenIghthamBorough GreenWrothamWest KingsdownSeal
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seal | 1,616 | — | — | D | B+ | B |
| Otford and Kemsing | 7,332 | 1.5 | A | D | B+ | A+ |
| Sevenoaks | 26,474 | 1.8 | A− | D | B− | A |
| Dunton Green | 3,241 | 2.2 | A− | C | B | A |
| Ightham | 2,037 | 2.8 | — | D | A+ | A |
| Borough Green | 4,712 | 3.9 | B− | C | B− | A− |
| Wrotham | 1,961 | 4 | — | C− | C | A− |
| West Kingsdown | 4,306 | 4.1 | B− | C | B | B |
Ightham and Wrotham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Seal
How many listed buildings are there in Seal?
That is 9.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Peter and St Paul.
Is Seal expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £570,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £900,000, terraced houses £434,500, semi-detached houses £496,000 and detached houses £805,200.
Does Seal flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Seal
Village in Kent, England
Seal is a built-up area of 1,616 people, in the Sevenoaks 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
- Population
- 1,616 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Sevenoaks
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005433
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.