Upchurch’s story
2 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Upchurch’s built-up area.
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
UpchurchKent
1,727 people call this village in Kent, South East home. 48% of households own their home with no mortgage.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Whippet · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,727
Census 2021 · Swale council
Median home
£370K
73 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.6
27% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Upchurch a good place to live?
Police record less crime here than in most towns: 17.8 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 5 home and vehicle crimes. Housing is expensive: homes sell for a median £370,000, about 6.7 times local household income. Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work: just over one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for schools, B− for health, B for jobs & income and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · flood risk, Environment Agency. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Upchurch is graded subject by subject only.
What makes Upchurch stand out
The 3 things Upchurch 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%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
27% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
48% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
How Upchurch grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Upchurch is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so Upchurch is graded subject by subject only.
Cost of livingRent £1,114 a monthC−Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentA−Open →Walkability11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transportCOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 57% of towns in England; secondary results beat 65% of towns in EnglandBOpen →Jobs & income2.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →Hazard risk0.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →HealthLife expectancy 79.3 for men, 84.1 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildings, 1 Grade ICOpen →Outdoors76% live within 400 m of a park; 7% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life1.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Upchurch.
Who lives here
An older town: 27% of people in Upchurch are 65 or over, more than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns
The 15-to-24 age group: 10%, lower than both Kent’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Typical age in Upchurch: 49.6, the median.
49.6median age
UpchurchKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level27%
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.
| Upchurch | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.4% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsB
On exam results, Upchurch’s schools beat 64% of towns in England
Attainment 8 at the 4 secondary schools within 3 km averages 49.9, and 46% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. The town has one school, shown below. 63% of pupils at the 8 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
BSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holywell Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 212 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade C−
Upchurch is a town of owners: 82% of households own their home, above Kent’s towns and England’s towns
9% of households are private tenants. Social housing holds 8% of households, below both Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). The £370,000 median rests on 73 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£370Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Upchurch£370K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £575,500 | 22 |
| Semi-detached | £356,500 | 36 |
| Terraced | £280,000 | 15 |
82%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,114
average private rent a month, Swale council area
£2,407
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
Upchurch records less crime per resident than three in four UK towns
Over the year to August 2026, 47 offences were reported in Upchurch, along with 17 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Just over half of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 7 reports per 1,000, below Kent’s towns (9.4) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
17.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 58% 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 & sexual24
Damage & arson6
Other theft5
Shoplifting4
Burglary3
Public order2
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Anti-social17
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.
17.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
47
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.
History
Among Upchurch’s 2 listed buildings: the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Upchurch’s listed buildings include the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Grade I. It has 12 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, below Kent’s towns (53) and England’s towns (39) alike. The pre-1919 share of homes is 15%.
2listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II1
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St. Mary the Virgin Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
15%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
12
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
Work tends to be further away for Upchurch: 19% commute under 5 km, below Kent’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For every resident in work, Upchurch has 0.8 jobs. 86% of commuters drove, above Kent’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. A household here earns £62K a year before tax, on average.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot5%
Train4%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
32%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£62K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 30% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
81% of residents say their health is good or very good
Seeing a GP means leaving Upchurch: the nearest practice is 1.8 miles away. The nearest A&E to Upchurch is Medway Maritime Hospital, 4.5 miles away. Women here live to 84.1 on average and men to 79.3 (2019–23).
81%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Upchurch | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
79.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.1
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.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Upchurch
14pages on Upchurch
The big questions
SafetyA−17.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £370K · rent £1,114 a monthHousing19 sold in 12 months · busiest street Chaffes LaneSchoolsB1 state schoolHealthB−Life expectancy 79.3 (men), 84.1 (women)Work & commuteB55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Upchurch’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Lower HalstowNewingtonGillinghamIwadeSittingbourneHoo St WerburghChathamUpchurch
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upchurch | 1,727 | — | — | C− | A− | B− |
| Lower Halstow | 1,210 | 0.9 | — | C− | A | B− |
| Newington | 2,691 | 1.8 | C | C+ | C− | C+ |
| Gillingham | 108,485 | 3.1 | C− | C+ | D | C− |
| Iwade | 4,533 | 3.5 | C+ | C | A− | C+ |
| Sittingbourne | 54,385 | 4.6 | C | B− | D | C |
| Hoo St Werburgh | 8,758 | 5.1 | D | C− | C− | C |
| Chatham | 76,956 | 5.1 | D | B− | D | D |
Lower Halstow has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Upchurch
Is Upchurch safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades A−.
Is Upchurch expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £370,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £280,000, semi-detached houses £356,500 and detached houses £575,500.
About Upchurch
Village in Kent, England
Upchurch is a built-up area of 1,727 people, in the Swale 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
- 1,727 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Swale
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005169
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.