Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
9,953 people live in this town in Surrey, South East.
Strong in places, weak in others. At B− overall, South Merstham is better than nearly half of UK towns and ranks #60 of 65 in Surrey. Its weakest is safety — police record 32.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 16.1 home and vehicle crimes. Among UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, it has less crime per resident than 20%. It also trails on health (C): life expectancy is 78.5 for men and 82 for women. Natural hazards weigh more here (C−): 2% of homes face a high or medium risk of river or sea flooding. Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A): on the way to work, 25% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Households here earn well: mean household income £68,600; 3.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Homes sell for a median £422,500, about 6 years of what households in the Reigate and Banstead council area earn.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · income and life expectancy, ONS · claimants, DWP · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years.
The 3 things South Merstham 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 South Merstham is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists 33 buildings inside South Merstham’s built-up area, and 1 scheduled monument.
12% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near South Merstham. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryReigate Priory Museum3.9 km outside town, to the southwest
CastleReigate Castle3.8 km outside town, to the southwest
FortReigate Fort2.8 km outside town, to the west
MuseumCaterham Museum4.3 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionBarons Cave3.9 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumThe Fire Brigades of Surrey2.7 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in South Merstham.
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 40% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
About just over a tenth of its commuters stay in South Merstham for work. The town counts 0.6 jobs per working resident. Working mainly from home: 40% of workers, between Surrey’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (31%).
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
GCSE results at the 4 secondary schools within 3 km: 58% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 53.1. Some 1,795 pupils attend South Merstham’s three primaries and one secondary.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lime Tree Primary School and NurseryLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 445 | B |
| Merstham Park SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 711 | B |
725 crimes and 144 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside South Merstham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 15.6 reports per 1,000, above both Surrey’s towns (7.3) and England’s towns (7.8). Also worth knowing: among the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, South Merstham has more crime per resident than four fifths of them. Just over two fifths of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
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 · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
4.8% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than Surrey’s towns (3.3%) yet lower than England’s towns (5.2%). One GP practice serves the town; 88% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. A disability affects 16% of people in South Merstham.
| Census 2021 | South Merstham | Surrey | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 87% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.8% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 14% | 17% |
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.
Private renters make up 14% of households, below Surrey’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. The £422,500 median rests on 299 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026). 61% of households are owner-occupiers.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £642,500 | 40 |
| Semi-detached | £495,000 | 76 |
| Terraced | £418,000 | 96 |
| Flat or maisonette | £273,000 | 87 |
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.
Homes from before 1919 make up 12% of the total, lower than both Surrey’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (16%). The national list protects one ancient monument in South Merstham.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
37% of adults hold a degree, below Surrey’s towns (42%) but above England’s towns (34%). Retirement age and beyond: 13% of residents are 65 or older. South Merstham has a median age of 37.5 years. People aged 15 to 24 are 9.2% of the population.
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| South Merstham | Surrey | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 31% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 13% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.7% | 4.2% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 42% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Surrey and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
33 listed buildings in South Merstham.
Cherrycob Cottage: Photo: Ian Capper · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Geograph · Whistlefield: Photo: Ian Capper · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Geograph
5 notable people were born in South Merstham.
Millis Jefferis: Unknown War Office photographer, Public domain · Jim Murray: David Rankin, Public domain
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Merstham | 9,953 | — | B− | C+ | C− | C |
| Redhill | 32,516 | 1.9 | B+ | C+ | C− | B |
| Netherne on-the-Hill | 1,475 | 2.3 | — | C− | B | A |
| South Nutfield | 1,951 | 2.3 | — | D | A | B |
| Hooley | 1,010 | 2.3 | — | C | C− | A− |
| Chaldon | 1,441 | 2.4 | — | D | A | B |
| Bletchingley | 2,372 | 2.4 | — | C− | C+ | B |
| Reigate | 23,774 | 2.8 | A | C− | B | A− |
Netherne on-the-Hill, South Nutfield, Hooley, Chaldon and Bletchingley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
A young town. At the 2021 Census, 21% of residents were under 15 and 31% were 25 to 44, against 18% and 27% across England’s towns; only 13% were 65 or over.
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £422,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £273,000, terraced houses £418,000, semi-detached houses £495,000 and detached houses £642,500.
Town in Surrey, England
South Merstham is a built-up area of 9,953 people, in the Reigate and Banstead 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.
