Jacobs Well’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Jacobs Well’s built-up area.
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Jacobs WellSurrey
A village of 1,122 in Surrey, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ron Strutt · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,122
Census 2021 · Guildford council
Median home
£535K
53 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.9
31% are 65+ · Surrey 19%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Jacobs Well a good place to live?
Jacobs Well has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is jobs & income (A+): mean household income £70,845; 1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Its weakest is walkability (C−): 9% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £535,000 in the last three years, 7.4 times what households in the Guildford council area earn in a year.
What makes Jacobs Well stand out
The 3 things Jacobs Well does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.9 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Jacobs Well grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Jacobs Well is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeA+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 76% of towns in England; secondary results beat 95% of towns in EnglandAOpen →SafetyA−Open →HealthLife expectancy 81.6 for men, 84.9 for womenA−Open →WalkabilityC−Open →Cost of livingrent £1,736 a monthC−Open →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History3 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors77% live within 400 m of a park; 8% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeBOpen →Civic life4.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Guildford Cathedral and 14 more in and around Jacobs Well
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Jacobs Well. Best known first.
CathedralGuildford Cathedral2.8 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleGuildford Castle3.3 km outside town, to the south
Garden · National TrustClandon Park4.4 km outside town, to the southeast
Museum · National TrustDapdune Wharf2.4 km outside town, to the south
MuseumGuildford Museum3.4 km outside town, to the south
Art galleryGuildford House Gallery3.1 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)
- Guildford Cathedral: Hassocks5489, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Guildford Castle: SuzanneKn at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Clandon Park: Murraypaul at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Dapdune Wharf: HARTLEPOOLMARINA2014, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Guildford Museum: Nickuae, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Guildford House Gallery: Murgatroyd49, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Jacobs Well.
Who lives here
An older town: 31% of people in Jacobs Well are 65 or over, more than in Surrey’s towns or England’s towns
For Jacobs Well, that is above both Surrey’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). 14% of residents are children under 15. The median resident of Jacobs Well is 51.9 years old.
51.9median age
Jacobs WellSurreyEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 86 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.
| Jacobs Well | Surrey | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 13% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.5% | 4.2% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 42% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Surrey and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
History
3 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Jacobs Well has 3 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 8% of its homes were built before 1919.
3listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
8%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
27
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Homes in Jacobs Well see less burglary and damage than in Surrey’s towns or England’s towns: 5.4 per 1,000 a year
Jacobs Well sits below both Surrey’s towns (10.6) and England’s towns (9.4) on this measure. Violence comes to 14 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 24 crimes inside Jacobs Well’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 6 reports of anti-social behaviour.
14violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 71% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Public order3
Other theft3
Damage & arson2
Drugs2
Vehicle crime1
Bicycle theft1
Other crime1
Anti-social6
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.
14
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
24
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
85% of residents say their health is good or very good
85% of Jacobs Well’s residents described their health as good or very good in 2021, against 87% across Surrey’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.
85%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Jacobs Well | Surrey | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 87% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.7% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 14% | 17% |
81.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
More commuters in Jacobs Well drive than in Surrey’s towns or England’s towns: 88%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 45% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Jacobs Well above both Surrey’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). For 48% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
Bicycle4%
On foot3%
Train1%
Bus1%
48%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
45%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£71K
mean household income, before tax
1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 19% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C−
More households own their home in Jacobs Well than in Surrey’s towns or across England’s towns: 92%
On this, Jacobs Well is above both Surrey’s towns (70%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 6% of households.
£535Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Jacobs Well£535K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £643,000 | 15 |
| Semi-detached | £522,040 | 35 |
92%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,736
average private rent a month, Guildford council area
£2,631
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jacobs Well
14pages on Jacobs Well
The big questions
SafetyA−14 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £535K · rent £1,736 a monthHousing18 sold in 12 months · busiest street Queenhythe RoadSchoolsAHealthA−Life expectancy 81.6 (men), 84.9 (women)Work & commuteA+61% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Jacobs Well’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
GuildfordFairlandsSendWest ClandonWood Street VillageWokingRipleyJacobs Well
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacobs Well | 1,122 | — | — | C− | A− | A− |
| Guildford | 77,870 | 1.4 | B+ | C | D | B+ |
| Fairlands | 1,119 | 2.3 | — | C− | B+ | A− |
| Send | 4,094 | 2.3 | A− | C− | B+ | A |
| West Clandon | 1,233 | 2.9 | — | D | A− | A |
| Wood Street Village | 1,586 | 2.9 | — | C− | C | B+ |
| Woking | 75,655 | 3.3 | A− | B− | C | B |
| Ripley | 1,714 | 3.7 | — | D | B | A |
Fairlands, West Clandon, Wood Street Village and Ripley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Jacobs Well
Are schools in Jacobs Well good?
GCSE results beat 95% of towns in England, and primary results beat 76% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). Places are handled by Surrey council.
Is Jacobs Well expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £535,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £522,040 and detached houses £643,000.
Is Jacobs Well safe?
Police recorded 24 crimes inside Jacobs Well’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 46% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
About Jacobs Well
Village in Surrey, England
Jacobs Well is a built-up area of 1,122 people, in the Guildford 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
- 1,122 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Guildford
- County
- Surrey
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005519
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.