Whitfield’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Whitfield’s built-up area.
2% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WhitfieldKent
A town of 6,509 in Kent, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Oast House Archive · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
6,509
Census 2021 · Dover council
Median home
£310K
462 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.7
24% are 65+ · Kent 19%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
C
#57 of 87 in Kent
Is Whitfield a good place to live?
Whitfield grades C overall against UK towns: better than 25% of UK towns, and #57 of 87 in Kent. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is safety (C−): 33.2 violent and sexual offences and 14.7 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 21%. The median home sold for £310,000 in the last three years, 5.9 times what households in the Dover council area earn in a year.
What makes Whitfield stand out
The 3 things Whitfield does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
13% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
44% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Kent 29%.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
24% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Whitfield grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Whitfield is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskAOpen →SafetyC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 17% of towns in England; secondary results beat 55% of towns in EnglandCOpen →Cost of livingrent £1,021 a monthCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 79.4 for men, 83 for womenC+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £58,483; 2.7% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC+Open →WalkabilityC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors79% live within 400 m of a park; 32% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Dover Transport Museum and 23 more in and around Whitfield
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Whitfield. Best known first.
MuseumDover Transport Museumin town
Castle · English HeritageDover Castle2.7 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumDover Bronze Age Boat2.8 km outside town, to the south
Fort · English HeritageDover Western Heights3 km outside town, to the south
Fort · National TrustFan Bay Deep Shelter3.8 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumDover Museum2.7 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Dover Transport Museum: Chris Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dover Castle: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dover Bronze Age Boat: mari from tokyo, japan, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dover Western Heights: Paul Wells, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fan Bay Deep Shelter: Inklin235, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dover Museum: Nessy-Pic, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Whitfield.
History
Much of Whitfield 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 Whitfield’s land, above both Kent’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (7%). Homes from before 1919 make up 2% of the total. Whitfield has 2 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
2listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
2%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
3
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsC
Results at Whitfield’s schools trail 67% of towns in England
Its two schools are below.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitfield Aspen SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 662 | D |
| Dover Christ Church AcademyLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 761 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
Who lives here
Fewer people in Whitfield hold a degree than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 22%
That puts Whitfield below both Kent’s towns (29%) and England’s towns (34%). 24% of residents are 65 or over. Whitfield has a median age of 44.7.
44.7median age
WhitfieldKentEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level22%
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.
| Whitfield | Kent | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 18% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.8% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Kent and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Safety
Whitfield has more crime per resident than 76% of UK towns
Violence came to 33.2 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Kent’s towns (23.9) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 454 crimes inside Whitfield’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 107 reports of anti-social behaviour. For its size, Whitfield records more crime per resident than 79% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people.
33.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 21% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual172
Shoplifting76
Damage & arson57
Other theft39
Vehicle crime30
Drugs21
Public order19
Other crime18
Anti-social107
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.
33.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
15.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
454
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C
Private renting is less common in Whitfield than in Kent’s towns or across England’s towns: 9%
On this, Whitfield is below both Kent’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Owners make up 77% of households.
£310Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Whitfield£310K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £403,795 | 159 |
| Semi-detached | £300,000 | 167 |
| Terraced | £284,996 | 113 |
| Flat or maisonette | £160,000 | 23 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,021
average private rent a month, Dover council area
£2,430
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
81% of residents say their health is good or very good
81% of Whitfield’s residents described their health as good or very good in 2021, against 82% across Kent’s towns. 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.
81%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Whitfield | Kent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 82% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
79.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Whitfield than in Kent’s towns or England’s towns: 13%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 23% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Whitfield comes below both Kent’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (27%). The car carried 84% of commuters at the census.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot8%
Bus2%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
2.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 45% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Whitfield
15pages on Whitfield
The big questions
SafetyC−33.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £310K · rent £1,021 a monthHousing97 sold in 12 months · busiest street Kittiwake CrescentSchoolsC2 state schoolsHealthC+Life expectancy 79.4 (men), 83 (women)Work & commuteC+49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Whitfield’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
GustonDoverEythorneSibertswoldSt Margaret's at CliffeKingsdownCapel-le-FerneWhitfield
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitfield | 6,509 | — | C | C | C− | C+ |
| Guston | 1,684 | 1.7 | — | C+ | A+ | C− |
| Dover | 36,349 | 1.8 | C− | B | D− | D |
| Eythorne | 1,487 | 3.1 | — | C | B | C+ |
| Sibertswold | 1,619 | 3.4 | — | C− | B | C+ |
| St Margaret's at Cliffe | 2,399 | 3.7 | — | D | B | A− |
| Kingsdown | 1,687 | 4.8 | — | C− | B+ | A− |
| Capel-le-Ferne | 1,962 | 5.2 | — | C− | A− | B |
Guston, Eythorne, Sibertswold, St Margaret's at Cliffe, Kingsdown and Capel-le-Ferne have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Whitfield
Is Whitfield safe?
Police recorded 454 crimes inside Whitfield’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 38% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
Are schools in Whitfield good?
GCSE results beat 55% of towns in England, and primary results trail 83% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). Whitfield has 2 state schools; places are handled by Kent council.
About Whitfield
Town in Kent, England
Whitfield is a built-up area of 6,509 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
- 6,509 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Dover
- County
- Kent
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 1 sq mi (2.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005711
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.