Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
It is a town of 2,688 residents in West Sussex, South East.
Real strengths, and real weak spots. People here tend to be in good health: life expectancy 82.3 for men, 86.3 for women. With a B overall, Ashington is better than 63% of UK towns and ranks #15 of 40 in West Sussex. Recorded crime is low: 12 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 5.2 home and vehicle crimes. School results trail most towns: primary results beat 18% of towns in England. At a median £520,000, a home costs 7.8 times the yearly income of households in the Horsham council area. Walkability is weaker too (D−): 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
Figures: life expectancy and incomes, ONS · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Ashington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The 3 things Ashington does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 20 buildings inside Ashington’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade II*.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →20 listed buildings in Ashington.
Oast Cottage: Photo: Chris Thomas-Atkin · CC BY-SA 2.0 · The Willows: Photo: Ian Capper · CC BY-SA 2.0 · The Oast House: Photo: Oast House Archive · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Geograph · Mill House Hotel: Photo: Simon Carey · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Geograph
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ashington.
Seeing a GP means leaving Ashington: the nearest practice is 3.1 miles away. 13% of residents in Ashington live with a disability, and on top of that at the census, 2.9% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (4.5%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Men in Ashington can expect to live to 82.3, women to 86.3 (2019–23).
| Census 2021 | Ashington | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.9% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · 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.
The one school in town appears below. 54% of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 190 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashington CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 190 | C− |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 37% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 92% of commuters, higher than both West Sussex’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%). Average household income comes to £72K a year before tax. Among 16 to 64s, 1.5% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Violence and sexual offences were 54% of the crimes. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 57 recorded crimes inside Ashington’s built-up area, and 30 reports of anti-social behaviour. There were 8.4 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than West Sussex’s towns (11.7) yet higher than England’s towns (7.8).
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.
Private renters make up 10% of households, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). The social rented sector houses 7% of households. Half of the 80 standard sales inside Ashington’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £520,000.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £635,000 | 45 |
| Semi-detached | £425,000 | 26 |
| Terraced | £343,000 | 5 |
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.
Grade II* covers 1 of them. Homes from before 1919 make up nearly a fifth of the total, above both West Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (16%). Listed buildings per head: 74 for every 10,000 residents of Ashington.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
At 47.9, the median resident of Ashington sits in the middle of the age range. Among adults, 31% have a degree. The share aged 15 to 24 is 10%.
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Ashington | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.8% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Ashington. Best known first.
CastleKnepp Castle4.4 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumStorrington and District Museum4.4 km outside town, to the southwestArt galleryArt galleryNifty Art Gallery4 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Town in West Sussex, England
Ashington is a built-up area of 2,688 people, in the Horsham 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashington | 2,688 | — | B | C− | A | A+ |
| Abingworth | 1,039 | 1.8 | — | C− | A | A+ |
| Storrington | 8,713 | 2.6 | B | C | B | A |
| West Chiltington | 3,095 | 2.8 | B+ | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Steyning | 5,513 | 4.2 | B+ | C− | A− | A |
| Partridge Green | 1,911 | 4.3 | — | C+ | A | B+ |
| Findon | 1,840 | 4.8 | — | D− | A− | B+ |
| Pulborough | 3,651 | 5.1 | C+ | B− | B− | B+ |
Abingworth, Partridge Green and Findon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 3.1 times the typical UK town for its size.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £520,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £343,000, semi-detached houses £425,000 and detached houses £635,000.
Primary results trail 82% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by West Sussex council.
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.