Sholden’s story
5 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Sholden’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SholdenKent
A village of 934 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Penny Mayes · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
934
Census 2021 · Dover council
Median home
£345K
63 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.2
24% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sholden a good place to live?
Sholden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Sholden stand out
The 3 things Sholden does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 2.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
24% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Deal Castle and 9 more in and around Sholden
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sholden. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageDeal Castle1.8 km outside town, to the east
Castle · English HeritageWalmer Castle2.7 km outside town, to the southeast
CastleSandown Castle2.1 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumTime Ball Tower1.8 km outside town, to the east
PierDeal Pier2 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumKent MOMI1.5 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Deal Castle: JimRussell, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Walmer Castle: Lieven Smits, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sandown Castle: Nick Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Time Ball Tower: Nick Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Deal Pier: Jim Osley, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sholden.
Who lives here
Few people in Sholden are 15 to 24: 8.4%, fewer than in Kent’s towns and across England’s towns
Children under 15 make up 19%, higher than both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Those 65 and older account for nearly a quarter of residents. The middle age in Sholden is 44.2.
44.2median age
SholdenKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Sholden | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.3% | 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
Schools
The schools around Sholden
56% of pupils at the 7 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Sholden Church of England Primary School’s results beat 89% of schools in England like it. The one school in town appears below. Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 30.7, and one in ten pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sholden Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 91 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Sholden than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 11%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 27% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 86% of commuters, above both Kent’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%). 26% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Household income averages £51K a year before tax.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot4%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
Train2%
26%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
27%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
2.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Private renting is less common in Sholden than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 9%
74% of households are owner-occupiers. Social housing holds 11% of households, lower than both Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,021 a month across the Dover council area.
£345Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sholden£345K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £425,000 | 29 |
| Semi-detached | £321,750 | 22 |
| Terraced | £216,125 | 12 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,021
average private rent a month, Dover council area
£2,428
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Violence is recorded more often in Sholden than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 32.8 per 1,000 residents a year
Police recorded 54 crimes inside Sholden’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 6 reports of anti-social behaviour. Burglary and damage came to 14.6 per 1,000 residents a year, above Kent’s towns (12.3) and England’s towns (9.4) alike. Of all the crimes, 59% were violence and sexual offences.
32.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual32
Damage & arson11
Vehicle crime4
Other theft3
Other crime2
Public order1
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social6
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.
32.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
54
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Disability is more common in Sholden than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 20% of residents
The nearest A&E to Sholden is Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, 10.7 miles away. Seeing a GP means leaving Sholden: the nearest practice is 0.9 miles away. At the census, 81% of people in Sholden called their health good or very good, about level with Kent’s towns (82%) and below England’s towns (82%).
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Sholden | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.8% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
77.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
More of the land in Sholden is conservation area than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II covers all 5 listed buildings that Historic England records here. For its size, Sholden has 54 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, in line with Kent’s towns (53) and England’s towns (39).
5listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
54
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sholden
13pages on Sholden
The big questions
Safety32.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £345K · rent £1,021 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street Artemis GardensSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 77.7 (men), 83.5 (women)Work & commute43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Sholden’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DealKingsdownEastrySandwichEythorneSt Margaret's at CliffeAsh (Dover)Sholden
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sholden | 934 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Deal | 28,992 | 0.9 | D | C+ | C | C |
| Kingsdown | 1,687 | 2.9 | — | C− | B+ | A− |
| Eastry | 2,388 | 3.4 | — | C | B+ | C+ |
| Sandwich | 4,258 | 3.7 | C− | C− | D | C+ |
| Eythorne | 1,487 | 4.8 | — | C | B | C+ |
| St Margaret's at Cliffe | 2,399 | 5 | — | D | B | A− |
| Ash (Dover) | 2,529 | 5.6 | B− | C− | C | B+ |
Kingsdown, Eastry, Eythorne and St Margaret's at Cliffe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sholden
How many listed buildings are there in Sholden?
That is 2.2 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Sholden expensive to live in?
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 £216,125, semi-detached houses £321,750 and detached houses £425,000.
About Sholden
Village in Kent, England
Sholden is a built-up area of 934 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
- Population
- 934 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dover
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005525
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.