Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
11% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. With 4,306 residents, it is a town in Kent, South East.
Some subjects shine; others lag. Overall, West Kingsdown earns a B−: better than 47% of UK towns, and #31 of 87 in Kent. Housing is expensive: homes sell for a median £460,000, about 6.7 times local household income. Natural hazards are few (A). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for safety, C+ for schools and B for health.
Figures: flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy, ONS.
The 3 things West Kingsdown 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 West Kingsdown is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists 8 buildings inside West Kingsdown’s built-up area, and 1 scheduled monument.
5% 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 West Kingsdown. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageEynsford Castle3 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic houseLullingstone Castle2.9 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumShoreham Aircraft Museum3.6 km outside town, to the westZooZooEagle Heights Wildlife Centre3.9 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionBrands Hatch Circuit100 m outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumKent Firefighting Museum1 km outside town, to the southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Kingsdown.
13% are under 15, below both Kent’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 make up nearly a tenth of the town. Half of West Kingsdown is older than 52.1, half younger. Among adults, 22% have a degree.
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| West Kingsdown | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 25% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.2% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
At the 5 primary schools within 3 km, 61% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Edmund's Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 197 | C |
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 5% of the total, below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (16%). Its heritage register entries (8 listed buildings) are all Grade II. The national list protects one ancient monument in West Kingsdown.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
83% of households are owner-occupiers. Social housing holds 8% of households, below both Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). Behind the median of £460,000: 137 standard sales inside West Kingsdown’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £615,000 | 65 |
| Semi-detached | £430,000 | 49 |
| Terraced | £362,000 | 20 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
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.
Income per household averages £52K a year, before tax. The car took 84% of commuters, above Kent’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Work in town: 8% of resident commuters. West Kingsdown counts 0.6 jobs per working resident.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Of all the crimes, 40% were violence and sexual offences. Police recorded 182 crimes inside West Kingsdown’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 29 reports of anti-social behaviour. Burglary and damage came to 10.9 per 1,000 residents a year, between Kent’s towns (12.3) and England’s towns (9.4).
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 police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
The nearest A&E to West Kingsdown is Darent Valley Hospital, 6.1 miles away. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 2.4 miles off. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 5.6% of the town.
| Census 2021 | West Kingsdown | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
8 listed buildings in West Kingsdown.
East Hill Farmhouse: Photo: N Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Oaklands: Photo: N Chadwick · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Geograph
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Kingsdown | 4,306 | — | B− | C | B | B |
| Eynsford | 1,676 | 2.3 | — | D | B− | A− |
| Farningham | 1,279 | 2.6 | — | C− | B− | A− |
| Horton Kirby | 1,247 | 3.1 | — | C− | B− | B+ |
| Longfield, New Ash Green and Hartley | 16,077 | 3.4 | B | C− | B− | B |
| Wrotham | 1,961 | 3.4 | — | C− | C | A− |
| Otford and Kemsing | 7,332 | 3.6 | A | D | B+ | A+ |
| South Darenth and Sutton at Hone | 4,091 | 3.9 | A− | B+ | C | B− |
Eynsford, Farningham, Horton Kirby and Wrotham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £460,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £362,000, semi-detached houses £430,000 and detached houses £615,000.
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Town in Kent, England
West Kingsdown is a built-up area of 4,306 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
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.
