England · County

Find your town in West Sussex

West Sussex has 40 towns of 2,500 or more and 82 villages and smaller places. Towns are graded against towns across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on cost of living, safety, schools, health and more.

40graded towns

11grade A− or better

82villages and smaller places

Crawleylargest · 120,567

How West Sussex compares: its report card →

Church of the Holy Innocents, Southwater (NHLE Code 1259780)

#1 in West SussexSouthwaterA⁺

#2 in West SussexCuckfieldA⁺

#3 in West SussexHaywards HeathA⁺

#4 in West SussexHassocks and HurstpierpointA⁺

West Sussex at a glance

What West Sussex is like

The typical West Sussex town grades highest on outdoors and health against towns across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and lowest on cost of living. Choose a subject to find the towns that do best on it.

The typical town, subject by subjectThe median West Sussex town against UK towns · the line marks the typical UK town

How West Sussex’s towns grade overall40 graded towns

A11B10C14D5

11 of 40 (28%) grade A− or better, against 25% of UK towns.

Every town ranked by scoreThe full West Sussex list, with what drives each grade Compare two townsSide by side, subject by subject

The finder

Find a town that’s…

40 towns · ordered by West Sussex rank

A⁺

Southwater

Town · 11,204 people · #58 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁺Jobs & incomeASchoolsLowestCCost of living

A⁺

Cuckfield

Town · 3,767 people · #61 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAJobs & incomeAHealthLowestCCost of living

A⁺

Haywards Heath

Large town · 40,186 people · #72 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁺Jobs & incomeAWalkabilityLowestC⁺Hazard risk

A⁺

Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint

Town · 14,216 people · #93 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAHealthAJobs & incomeLowestCHazard risk

A⁺

Crawley Down

Town · 5,775 people · #105 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAJobs & incomeAHealthLowestCWalkability

Burgess Hill

Large town · 33,352 people · #159 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAJobs & incomeA⁻SchoolsLowestC⁺Safety

Broadbridge Heath

Town · 6,357 people · #182 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAJobs & incomeAHazard riskLowestC⁺Cost of living

Horsham

Large town · 50,211 people · #224 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAJobs & incomeAWalkabilityLowestC⁺Safety

A⁻

East Grinstead

Large town · 26,350 people · #317 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAWalkabilityA⁻Jobs & incomeLowestB⁻Safety

A⁻

Upper Beeding

Town · 3,100 people · #421 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAHealthASafetyLowestD⁻Hazard risk

A⁻

Bosham

Town · 2,693 people · #525 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestASchoolsA⁻HealthLowestDHazard risk

B⁺

Steyning

Town · 5,513 people · #542 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAHealthA⁻SafetyLowestC⁻Cost of living

B⁺

Billingshurst

Town · 9,121 people · #658 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁻Jobs & incomeB⁺HealthLowestC⁺Cost of living

B⁺

West Chiltington

Town · 3,095 people · #701 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁺HealthA⁺SafetyLowestDWalkability

Ashington

Town · 2,688 people · #777 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁺HealthASafetyLowestD⁻Walkability

Arundel

Town · 3,035 people · #826 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁺SchoolsA⁻HealthLowestD⁻Cost of living

Storrington

Town · 8,713 people · #952 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAHealthBJobs & incomeLowestCSchools

B⁻

Shoreham-by-Sea

Large town · 23,659 people · #954 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAWalkabilityBSchoolsLowestD⁻Cost of living

B⁻

Copthorne

Town · 4,917 people · #1,036 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAHealthA⁻Jobs & incomeLowestDHazard risk

B⁻

Fishbourne

Town · 3,368 people · #1,118 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁻HealthB⁺WalkabilityLowestDCost of living

B⁻

Midhurst

Town · 5,366 people · #1,159 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestB⁺HealthB⁺WalkabilityLowestDCost of living

C⁺

Pulborough

Town · 3,651 people · #1,180 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestB⁺HealthBWalkabilityLowestD⁻Schools

C⁺

Petworth

Town · 2,592 people · #1,201 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAHazard riskA⁻WalkabilityLowestDCost of living

C⁺

Southbourne

Town · 4,150 people · #1,216 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAHazard riskB⁺WalkabilityLowestDCost of living

C⁺

Henfield

Town · 5,630 people · #1,290 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestB⁺Hazard riskB⁺HealthLowestD⁻Schools

C⁺

Rustington

Large town · 33,885 people · #1,306 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestB⁺SafetyBWalkabilityLowestD⁻Cost of living

Hambrook and Nutbourne

Town · 2,752 people · #1,415 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestB⁺HealthBJobs & incomeLowestDCost of living

Worthing

City · 111,635 people · #1,416 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAWalkabilityB⁺SchoolsLowestDCost of living

Tangmere

Town · 4,000 people · #1,442 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAHazard riskBSafetyLowestC⁻Schools

Southwick

Town · 12,242 people · #1,517 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAWalkabilityB⁺Hazard riskLowestD⁻Cost of living

C⁻

Barnham

Town · 10,139 people · #1,600 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestBJobs & incomeBSchoolsLowestD⁻Cost of living

C⁻

Lancing and Sompting

Large town · 27,924 people · #1,626 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁻WalkabilityB⁻SafetyLowestDCost of living

C⁻

Chichester

Large town · 31,709 people · #1,672 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁺WalkabilityBHazard riskLowestDSafety

C⁻

East Wittering

Town · 6,060 people · #1,710 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestB⁺SafetyB⁺WalkabilityLowestD⁻Schools

C⁻

Crawley

City · 120,567 people · #1,748 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAWalkabilityB⁻Jobs & incomeLowestDSafety

Selsey

Town · 10,740 people · #1,952 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestA⁻WalkabilityC⁺SafetyLowestD⁻Hazard risk

Bognor Regis

Large town · 68,443 people · #2,012 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestB⁺WalkabilityC⁺Hazard riskLowestDCost of living

D⁻

Yapton

Town · 6,337 people · #2,067 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestB⁻WalkabilityCJobs & incomeLowestD⁻Cost of living

D⁻

Wick

Town · 13,231 people · #2,111 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestB⁺WalkabilityCJobs & incomeLowestDCost of living

D⁻

Littlehampton

Town · 19,060 people · #2,122 of 2,138 nationally

StrongestAWalkabilityC⁻HealthLowestDCost of living

Go deeper

West Sussex lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All West Sussex rankings →

Best places to live40 towns · #1 Southwater Best small towns22 towns · #1 Cuckfield Most affordable towns40 towns · #1 Burgess Hill Safest towns40 towns · #1 West Chiltington Towns with the best schools40 towns · #1 Arundel Healthiest towns40 towns · #1 West Chiltington Best towns for jobs & income40 towns · #1 Haywards Heath Most walkable towns40 towns · #1 Chichester Towns with the lowest flood risk40 towns · #1 Broadbridge Heath and 6 more Best towns for the outdoors40 towns · #1 Petworth Most historic towns40 towns · #1 Arundel Towns with the most civic life40 towns · #1 Arundel Towns with the highest household incomes40 towns · #1 CuckfieldDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax40 towns · #1 HorshamDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters40 towns · #1 SelseyDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers40 towns · #1 MidhurstDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers40 towns · #1 SelseyDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts40 towns · #1 SelseyDescribed, no letters Driest towns40 towns · #1 SelseyDescribed, no letters Wettest towns40 towns · #1 MidhurstDescribed, no letters

Villages and small towns

82 smaller places in West Sussex

Places of 1,000 to 2,500 people have subject grades on their pages, but no overall grade or rank. The search at the top finds these too.

56 places under 1,000 people

Photos: 0: The Voice of Hassocks · CC0 · 1: Poliphilo · CC0 · 2: Bill Boaden · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 3: Hassocks5489 at en.wikipedia · Public domain · 4: Peter Shimmon · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 5: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 6: Andy Potter · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 7: Robin Webster · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 8: Malc McDonald · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 9: Antiquary · CC BY 3.0 · 10: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 11: Michael Garlick · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 12: Charlesdrakew · Public domain · 13: Antiquary · CC BY 4.0 · 14: Janine Forbes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 15: Chensiyuan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 17: nick macneill · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 18: SGBailey · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 19: Stephen Kirkman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 20: Charlesdrakew at English Wikipedia · Public domain · 22: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 23: Charles · Public domain · 24: Ian Hawfinch · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 25: Dashers at English Wikipedia · Public domain · 26: Simon Carey · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 28: Charlesdrakew · CC0 · 29: The Voice of Hassocks · Public domain · 30: Ainslie · CC BY-SA 3.0 · 31: Mike Faherty · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 32: Steve Daniels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 33: Bob Parkes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 34: Pebble · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 35: David Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 36: Jeff Gogarty · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 39: The original uploader was Sue Wallace at English Wikipedia . · CC BY 2.0

Sources: TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area. 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.