Sandy Cross’s story
Sandy Cross: 36% of homes built before 1919
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Sandy CrossSurrey
A village of 283 in Surrey, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
283
Census 2021 · Guildford council
Median age
50.9
27% are 65+ · Surrey 19%
Degree level
47%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sandy Cross a good place to live?
Sandy Cross has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Sandy Cross stand out
The 3 things Sandy Cross 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%)
28% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Homes built before 1919
History
36% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Own outright
Housing
55% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Waverley Abbey and 11 more in and around Sandy Cross
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sandy Cross. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · English HeritageWaverley Abbey2.5 km outside town, to the southwest
Castle · English HeritageFarnham Castle4.2 km outside town, to the west
CathedralCathedral of St Michael and St George, Aldershot4.3 km outside town, to the north
MuseumCrafts Study Centre4.3 km outside town, to the west
MuseumMuseum of Farnham4.4 km outside town, to the west
MuseumRoyal Army Physical Training Corps Museum4.6 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Waverley Abbey: Admiralgary, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Farnham Castle: Lewis Hulbert, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of St Michael and St George, Aldershot: AldershotCathedral.jpg: JohnArmagh derivative work: Rabanus Flavus, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Crafts Study Centre: BabelStone, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Farnham: BabelStone, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Royal Army Physical Training Corps Museum: Jack1956, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sandy Cross.
Work & commute
Only 7% of commuters in Sandy Cross go to work without a car, fewer than in Surrey’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 55% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Sandy Cross, that is below both Surrey’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (27%). 93% of commuters drove to work at the census.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot4%
Bicycle4%
28%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
55%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£76K
mean household income, before tax
0.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Sandy Cross is a town of owners: 87% of households own their home, above Surrey’s towns and England’s towns
Sandy Cross sits above both Surrey’s towns (70%) and England’s towns (61%) on this measure. Social housing holds 1% of households.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sandy Cross£0K
Typical UK town£277K
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,736
average private rent a month, Guildford council area
£2,678
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Sandy Cross records less burglary and damage per resident than Surrey’s towns or England’s towns, at 5.9 per 1,000 a year
That puts Sandy Cross below both Surrey’s towns (10.6) and England’s towns (9.4). Violent crime runs at 13 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 10 crimes inside Sandy Cross’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 3 reports of anti-social behaviour.
13violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Other theft2
Damage & arson1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social3
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.
13
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
10
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
Just 0% of people in Sandy Cross say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Surrey’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Sandy Cross is below both Surrey’s towns (3.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Sandy Cross has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.4 miles away. 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.
93%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 93%Fair 7%Bad or very bad 0%
| Census 2021 | Sandy Cross | Surrey | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 93% | 87% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 0% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 14% | 17% |
81.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Sandy Cross keeps more of its old housing than Surrey or England’s towns: 36% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
In the comparison, Sandy Cross comes above both Surrey’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (16%).
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
36%
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
Who lives here
An older town: 27% of people in Sandy Cross are 65 or over, more than in Surrey’s towns or England’s towns
People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.9% of the town, below both Surrey’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). The median resident of Sandy Cross is 50.9 years old. 47% of adults hold a degree.
50.9median age
Sandy CrossSurreyEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level47%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Sandy Cross | Surrey | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 13% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 2.6% | 4.2% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 47% | 42% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Surrey and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sandy Cross
12pages on Sandy Cross
The big questions
Sandy Cross’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Badshot LeaAldershotWeybourneFarnhamAsh and Ash ValeElsteadNormandySandy Cross
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Cross | 283 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Badshot Lea | 1,883 | 1.3 | — | B− | B | A |
| Aldershot | 39,827 | 2 | B− | C+ | D | C |
| Weybourne | 11,241 | 2.5 | A | B− | B+ | A+ |
| Farnham | 20,499 | 2.6 | A+ | C+ | B− | A |
| Ash and Ash Vale | 24,284 | 2.7 | B− | C+ | B− | B |
| Elstead | 2,261 | 2.9 | — | C+ | B− | A− |
| Normandy | 1,665 | 3.5 | — | C− | A− | A |
Badshot Lea, Elstead and Normandy have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sandy Cross
How much is council tax in Sandy Cross?
Band D council tax in Sandy Cross is £2,678 for 2026–27, more than in 94% 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.
About Sandy Cross
Village in Surrey, England
Sandy Cross is a built-up area of 283 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
- 283 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Guildford
- County
- Surrey
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005644
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.