Essington’s story
No listed buildings inside Essington’s built-up area
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
EssingtonStaffordshire
TownGrade
D
Better than 14% of UK towns
A town in Staffordshire, West Midlands, home to 3,471 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Geoff Pick · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
3,471
Census 2021 · South Staffordshire council
Median home
£288K
128 sales in 3 years
Median age
43.1
20% are 65+ · Staffordshire 21%
Degree level
26%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Essington a good place to live?
A tough set of grades. Walkability is its weak spot: on the way to work, 7% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Residents’ health trails most towns: life expectancy 76.1 for men, 81.1 for women. Buying the median home, at £287,500, takes 5.4 years of household income in the South Staffordshire council area. Floods and other hazards weigh less here (A). The overall grade lands at D, better than 14% of UK towns.
Figures: flood risk, Environment Agency · commuting, Census 2021 · life expectancy and incomes, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years.
How Essington grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Essington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £45,410C−Open →SafetyMore crime than in most townsC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 52% of towns in England; secondary results beat 9% of towns in EnglandCOpen →Cost of livingBetter than most of the towns comparedBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 6.8 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life0.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Essington stand out
The 3 things Essington does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Secondary results, towns in England
Schools
Secondary results trail 91%
of towns in England, on GCSE results (Attainment 8, English and maths)
Primary results beat 52%. Department for Education.
Claimant rate, against UK towns
Work
of 16 to 64s in 2026: more than in 91% of UK towns
DWP claimant count, January to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Essington.
History
No listed buildings in Essington
0listed buildingsD−History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The pre-1919 share of homes is 11%. Historic England’s list has no building inside Essington’s built-up area.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsC
Exam results at Essington’s schools trail 73% of towns in England
CSchool Grade
At the 25 primary schools within 3 km, 62% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its only school is listed below. Attainment 8 at the 6 secondary schools within 3 km averages 38.7, and 31% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St John's Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 712 | B+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
More people aged 16 to 64 in Essington claim unemployment benefits than in Staffordshire’s towns or England’s towns: 4.2%
7%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 25% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 90% of commuters went by car. 4% of commuters who live in Essington also work there. Jobs per working resident: 0.4. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 32%, lower than both Staffordshire’s towns (43%) and England’s towns (45%).
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot3%
Bus2%
Train1%
32%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£45K
mean household income, before tax
4.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 6% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Life expectancy in Essington is shorter than in 89% of UK towns
80%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
One GP practice serves the town; 85% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. The nearest A&E to Essington is New Cross Hospital, 2.5 miles away. Also worth knowing: at the census, 18% of people here had a disability, below Staffordshire’s towns (19%) and close to England’s towns (17%).
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Essington | Staffordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 19% | 17% |
76.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.1
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
Safety
Essington records more burglary and damage per resident than Staffordshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 15.9 per 1,000 a year
32.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Over the year to August 2026, 254 offences were reported in Essington, along with 47 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Violence came to 32.8 per 1,000 residents a year, above Staffordshire’s towns (24) and England’s towns (22) alike. For its size, Essington records more crime per resident than four fifths of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 20% 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 & sexual147
Public order29
Vehicle crime29
Damage & arson20
Other crime8
Other theft6
Drugs6
Burglary5
Anti-social47
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
15.9
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)
254
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 B
Private renting is less common in Essington than in Staffordshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 7%
£288Kmedian sale
26% live in social housing, above Staffordshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £958 a month across the South Staffordshire council area. Behind the median of £287,500: 128 standard sales inside Essington’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Essington£288K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £375,000 | 55 |
| Semi-detached | £250,000 | 49 |
| Terraced | £189,750 | 20 |
66%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£958
average private rent a month, South Staffordshire council area
£2,326
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Few people in Essington are 15 to 24: 9.5%, fewer than in Staffordshire’s towns and across England’s towns
43.1median age
Degrees are held by 26% of adults, about level with Staffordshire’s towns (27%) and below England’s towns (34%). Children under 15 count for 19% of the people here. At 43.1, the median resident of Essington sits in the middle of the age range.
EssingtonStaffordshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level26%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Essington | Staffordshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 26% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Staffordshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Essington
15pages on Essington
The big questions
SafetyC−32.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingBMedian home £288K · rent £958 a monthHousing36 sold in 12 months · busiest street Aspen RoadSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthC−Life expectancy 76.1 (men), 81.1 (women)Work & commuteC−44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
About Essington
Town in Staffordshire, England
Essington is a built-up area of 3,471 people, in the South Staffordshire 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
- 3,471 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Staffordshire
- County
- Staffordshire
- Region
- West Midlands
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002635
Essington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
FeatherstoneWillenhallGreat Wyrley and Cheslyn HayBloxwichPelsallWolverhamptonCovenEssington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essington | 3,471 | — | D | B | C− | C− |
| Featherstone | 7,096 | 2.1 | B− | A− | B− | C− |
| Willenhall | 49,582 | 2.3 | D− | C | D | D |
| Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay | 17,647 | 2.6 | B− | A− | C+ | C |
| Bloxwich | 51,891 | 2.6 | D− | C | D− | D− |
| Pelsall | 10,455 | 3.7 | D | D | C | C |
| Wolverhampton | 234,029 | 3.7 | D | C− | D | D |
| Coven | 2,399 | 4.1 | — | B+ | A− | C+ |
Coven has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Essington
Is Essington safe?
Police recorded 254 crimes inside Essington’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 58% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking. Burglary was rare, with 5 reports in the year.
Are schools in Essington good?
One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Staffordshire council.
Does Essington flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
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.