Birdham’s story
20 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Birdham’s built-up area.
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BirdhamWest Sussex
Home to 884 people, this village lies in West Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Charlesdrakew · Public domain
Population
884
Census 2021 · Chichester council
Median home
£482K
31 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.4
33% are 65+ · West Sussex 23%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
17%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Birdham a good place to live?
There are no grades for Birdham: with fewer than 1,000 residents, they wouldn’t be fair. The figures on this page are still real. 20 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. It skews older: 33% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Birdham stand out
The 3 things Birdham does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including The Parish Church of St James; 9.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.7 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Birdham.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Birdham than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 13% are under 15
55.4median age
Among adults, 41% have a degree. The 15-to-24 age group: 7.3%, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (9.8%) and England’s towns (12%). People 65 and over make up a third of the town. The middle age in Birdham is 55.4.
BirdhamWest SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Birdham | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Birdham
At the 3 primary schools within 3 km, 47% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birdham CE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 109 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Birdham work nearby than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 21% travel under 5 km
17%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 41% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
There are 0.9 jobs in Birdham for each resident in work. 80% of commuters drove, above both West Sussex’s towns (75%) and England’s towns (70%). Home was the main workplace for just over two in five workers at the census.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving80%
On foot10%
Train3%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
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
Homes in Birdham cost more than in West Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns, with a median sale of £482K
£482Kmedian sale
Social housing holds 12% of households, below both West Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 74%. Private rents average £1,333 a month across the Chichester council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Birdham£482K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £626,250 | 16 |
| Semi-detached | £395,000 | 8 |
| Terraced | £327,500 | 6 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,333
average private rent a month, Chichester council area
£2,459
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
Violent crime runs high in Birdham: 24.5 per 1,000 residents a year, above West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
24.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
36% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 59 offences in Birdham and 25 cases of nuisance behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 18.1 reports per 1,000, higher than both West Sussex’s towns (11.6) and England’s towns (7.8).
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual21
Damage & arson14
Shoplifting6
Public order5
Other theft4
Drugs3
Vehicle crime2
Other crime2
Anti-social25
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.
24.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
18.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
59
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
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.
Health
86% of people in Birdham say their health is good or very good, more than in West Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
86%good or very good health
Birdham has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.4 miles away. 15% of residents in Birdham live with a disability. The nearest A&E to Birdham is St Richard's Hospital, 4.5 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Birdham | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.5% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
78.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.3
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
History
Birdham is rich in listed buildings: 226 per 10,000 residents, more than in West Sussex’s towns and across England’s towns
20listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
8% of homes were built before 1919. Birdham’s listed buildings include The Parish Church of St James, Grade I. The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II19
Among them · Grade I
- The Parish Church of St James Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
8%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
226
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Birdham
13pages on Birdham
The big questions
Safety24.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £482K · rent £1,333 a monthHousing10 sold in 12 months · busiest street Crooked LaneSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 78.9 (men), 85.3 (women)Work & commute58% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Fishbourne Roman Palace and 2 more in and around Birdham
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Birdham. Best known first.
MuseumFishbourne Roman Palace4 km outside town, to the northPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustQuay Meadow3.3 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttractionChichester Canal Trust4.6 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Fishbourne Roman Palace: Charlesdrakew, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
About Birdham
Village in West Sussex, England
Birdham is a built-up area of 884 people, in the Chichester 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
- 884 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chichester
- County
- West Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006622
Birdham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
East WitteringHunstonBoshamFishbourneChichesterHambrook and NutbourneWest ThorneyBirdham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birdham | 884 | — | — | — | — | — |
| East Wittering | 6,060 | 2.3 | C− | D | B+ | B |
| Hunston | 1,154 | 2.8 | — | C− | B− | C+ |
| Bosham | 2,693 | 2.8 | A− | D | B | A− |
| Fishbourne | 3,368 | 3.4 | B− | D | C | A− |
| Chichester | 31,709 | 4.2 | C− | D | D | C+ |
| Hambrook and Nutbourne | 2,752 | 4.3 | C | D | B− | B+ |
| West Thorney | 1,729 | 4.3 | — | C | A+ | A− |
Hunston and West Thorney have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Birdham
How many listed buildings are there in Birdham?
That is 9.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is The Parish Church of St James.
Is Birdham expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £327,500, semi-detached houses £395,000 and detached houses £626,250.
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.