Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 2,261 in Surrey, South East.
Elstead has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is health (A−): life expectancy 80.9 for men, 88 for women. Its weakest is walkability (C): 11% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £592,500 in the last three years, 8.1 times what households in the Waverley council area earn in a year.
The 3 things Elstead 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 Elstead is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists them inside Elstead’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Elstead.
Women here live to 88 on average and men to 80.9 (2019–23). The nearest A&E to Elstead is Royal Surrey County Hospital, 5.7 miles away. One GP practice serves the town; 74% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
| Census 2021 | Elstead | Surrey | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 87% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 14% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St James CofE Aided Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 229 | C+ |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 46% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Elstead comes below both Surrey’s towns (40%) and England’s towns (45%). 87% of commuters drove to work at the census.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
For Elstead, that is below both Surrey’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). 74% of households own their home.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £757,500 | 40 |
| Semi-detached | £525,000 | 26 |
| Terraced | £442,500 | 10 |
| Flat or maisonette | £263,750 | 6 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Elstead has 18 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 1 Grade II*. 14% of its homes were built before 1919.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Police recorded 91 crimes inside Elstead’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 16 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 60% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking, so it runs higher than U.S. “violent crime”.
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
Elstead sits above both Surrey’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. 7.9% of residents are aged 15 to 24. The median resident of Elstead is 51.5 years old.
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Elstead | Surrey | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 13% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.2% | 4.2% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 43% | 42% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Surrey and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Elstead. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · English HeritageWaverley Abbey3.8 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumRural Life Centre4.2 km outside town, to the west
FortSoldiers Ring3.5 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumGodalming Museum4.8 km outside town, to the eastPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustWitley Common2.6 km outside town, to the southeastPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustThe Flashes, Churt Common4.4 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elstead | 2,261 | — | — | C+ | B− | A− |
| Milford and Witley | 6,489 | 2.7 | A+ | C+ | A− | A− |
| Godalming | 10,450 | 3.8 | A | C+ | B | A |
| Badshot Lea | 1,883 | 4.1 | — | B− | B | A |
| Farncombe | 13,247 | 4.1 | A | C+ | B+ | B |
| Farnham | 20,499 | 4.2 | A+ | C+ | B− | A |
| Normandy | 1,665 | 4.7 | — | C− | A− | A |
| Hindhead | 6,444 | 4.7 | A | B− | B+ | B+ |
Badshot Lea and Normandy 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 £592,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £263,750, terraced houses £442,500, semi-detached houses £525,000 and detached houses £757,500.
That is 3.3 times the typical UK town for its size. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Band D council tax in Elstead is £2,587 for 2026–27, more than in 83% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Village in Surrey, England
Elstead is a built-up area of 2,261 people, in the Waverley 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.