Whyteleafe’s story
4 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Whyteleafe’s built-up area.
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WhyteleafeSurrey
A town of 3,174 in Surrey, South East. Life expectancy is 87.7 for women and 83.8 for men.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
3,174
Census 2021 · Tandridge council
Median home
£275K
147 sales in 3 years
Median age
35.3
10% are 65+ · Surrey 19%
Degree level
38%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
29%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
A−
#31 of 65 in Surrey
Is Whyteleafe a good place to live?
Whyteleafe grades A− overall against UK towns: better than 84% of UK towns, and #31 of 65 in Surrey. Its strongest subject is walkability (A): 29% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Its weakest is hazard risk (D−): 13% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The median home sold for £275,000 in the last three years, 3.9 times what households in the Tandridge council area earn in a year.
What makes Whyteleafe stand out
The 3 things Whyteleafe does most differently from other towns.
Life expectancy, against UK towns
Health
87.7 and 83.8 years
OHID Fingertips, 2019–23.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 10% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Flood risk, against UK towns
Flood risk
High or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea: more than in 97% of UK towns
Environment Agency flood maps, defences counted.
How Whyteleafe grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Whyteleafe is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskD−Open →WalkabilityAOpen →SafetyDOpen →HealthAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 83% of towns in England; secondary results beat 74% of towns in EnglandA−Open →Cost of livingrent £1,637 a monthB+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £72,827B+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryC−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 15% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA+Open →Civic life1.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Whyteleafe.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
5.5% of 16 to 64s in Whyteleafe claim unemployment benefits, more than in Surrey’s towns and England’s towns
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.
For Whyteleafe, that is above both Surrey’s towns (2.1%) and England’s towns (2.3%). 25% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
29%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving68%
Train16%
Bus6%
On foot5%
Underground, tram1%
Bicycle1%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
40%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£73K
mean household income, before tax
5.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A
Walkability: more walkable than 95% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsA−
Results at Whyteleafe’s schools beat 83% of towns in England
Whyteleafe Primary School’s results beat 79% of schools in England like it. Its one school is below.
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whyteleafe Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 447 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Whyteleafe records more burglary and damage per resident than Surrey’s towns or England’s towns, at 21.9 per 1,000 a year
Whyteleafe sits above both Surrey’s towns (10.5) and England’s towns (9.4) on this measure. Violent crime runs at 37.4 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 290 crimes inside Whyteleafe’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 43 reports of anti-social behaviour.
37.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 9% 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 & sexual118
Damage & arson31
Other theft31
Public order29
Vehicle crime25
Shoplifting21
Drugs12
Burglary11
Anti-social43
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.
37.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
21.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
290
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
Life expectancy in Whyteleafe is longer than in 97% of UK towns
Women here live to 87.7 on average and men to 83.8 (2019–23). At the census, 2.8% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below both Surrey’s towns (3.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Whyteleafe has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1 miles away.
86%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Whyteleafe | Surrey | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 87% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.8% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 14% | 17% |
83.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
4 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.
Whyteleafe has 4 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 15% of its homes were built before 1919.
4listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
15%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
13
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B+
The median home in Whyteleafe sells for £275K, against £535K in Surrey’s towns and £308K in England’s towns
Whyteleafe is the cheapest of the 66 towns in Surrey: its median sale is £275,000. 24% rent privately, above both Surrey’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). Owners make up 57% of households.
£275Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Whyteleafe£275K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £620,000 | 20 |
| Semi-detached | £445,000 | 10 |
| Terraced | £387,500 | 22 |
| Flat or maisonette | £256,000 | 95 |
57%
of households own their home · England 61%
24%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,637
average private rent a month, Tandridge council area
£2,595
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
Whyteleafe has fewer older residents than Surrey’s towns or England’s towns: 10% are 65 or over
That puts Whyteleafe below both Surrey’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). Children under 15 make up 21% of residents. The median resident of Whyteleafe is 35.3 years old.
35.3median age
WhyteleafeSurreyEngland
Ages · share of residents
8%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Whyteleafe | Surrey | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 21% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 38% | 25% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 23% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 10% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 13% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.3% | 4.2% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 42% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Surrey and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Selsdon Wood and 4 more in and around Whyteleafe
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Whyteleafe. Best known first.
Garden · National TrustSelsdon Wood3.4 km outside town, to the northeast
GardenCroham Hurst3.8 km outside town, to the north
MuseumCaterham Museum1.8 km outside town, to the southHistoric siteHistoric siteDe Havilland Heron5 km outside town, to the northwestFortFortPilgrims Fort3.8 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 (3)
- Selsdon Wood: Philip Talmage, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Croham Hurst: Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Caterham Museum: Jim Osley, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Whyteleafe
15pages on Whyteleafe
The big questions
SafetyD37.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £275K · rent £1,637 a monthHousing44 sold in 12 months · busiest street Godstone RoadSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 83.8 (men), 87.7 (women)Work & commuteB+57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD−12.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Whyteleafe’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WarlinghamCaterhamChaldonWoldinghamNetherne on-the-HillHooleyGodstoneWhyteleafe
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whyteleafe | 3,174 | — | A− | B+ | D | A |
| Warlingham | 8,918 | 1 | A | C− | B− | A− |
| Caterham | 22,757 | 1.3 | B+ | C | C+ | B |
| Chaldon | 1,441 | 2.2 | — | D | A | B |
| Woldingham | 2,223 | 2.5 | — | D | A+ | A |
| Netherne on-the-Hill | 1,475 | 3 | — | C− | B | A |
| Hooley | 1,010 | 3.6 | — | C | C− | A− |
| Godstone | 2,648 | 3.9 | C | C | C− | B− |
Chaldon, Woldingham, Netherne on-the-Hill and Hooley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Whyteleafe
Does Whyteleafe flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is Whyteleafe safe?
It has more crime per resident than most places its size: 91% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less. Police recorded 290 crimes inside Whyteleafe’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 41% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
Are schools in Whyteleafe good?
Secondary results beat 74%. One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Surrey council.
About Whyteleafe
Town in Surrey, England
Whyteleafe is a built-up area of 3,174 people, in the Tandridge 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
- 3,174 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Tandridge
- County
- Surrey
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005403
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.