Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2,693 people, this town lies in West Sussex, South East.
The everyday basics are strong; the price of a home is the catch. Bosham’s overall grade of A− puts it better than 75% of UK towns, #11 of 40 in West Sussex. Add health to its strengths — life expectancy 81.6 for men, 83.7 for women. What counts against it is cost of living (D) — a typical home costs £500,000 and rent runs £1,333 a month. Hazards are a real consideration: 6.8% of homes face a high or medium risk of river or sea flooding.
Figures: life expectancy, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Bosham is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The 3 things Bosham does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 55 buildings inside Bosham’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
The archive holds 1 old photo or postcard going back to 1882.
Explore the history →55 listed buildings in Bosham, 1 of them Grade I.
The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity: Photo: The Voice of Hassocks · CC0 · The White Swan Public House: Photo: Djm-leighpark · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chapel Cottage: Photo: Jim Osley · CC BY-SA 2.0 · The Bosham Sailing Club: Photo: Peter Trimming · CC BY-SA 2.0
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bosham.
Nearly a tenth of the population is aged 15 to 24, below both West Sussex’s towns (9.8%) and England’s towns (12%). Retirement age and beyond: nearly a third of residents are 65 or older. Typical age in Bosham: 53.5, the median. Children under 15 make up 14% of residents.
53% women, 47% men
About 90 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.
| Bosham | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 32% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.1% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 49% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: nearly two thirds of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 55.1. Its only school is listed below. Key Stage 2 results at the 4 primary schools within 3 km: 69% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosham Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 204 | B |
10% live in social housing, below both West Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%). The median sale, £500,000, comes from 105 standard sales inside Bosham’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026. Renting privately is how 17% of households live.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £825,000 | 48 |
| Semi-detached | £415,000 | 25 |
| Terraced | £403,750 | 20 |
| Flat or maisonette | £230,000 | 12 |
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.
Bosham’s listed buildings include The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity, Grade I. It has 55 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I. Homes from before 1919 make up just over a fifth of the total, above both West Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (16%).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
15% of residents have a disability, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Bosham has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.4 miles away. Self-reported good health: 84% of the town’s residents.
| Census 2021 | Bosham | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
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 nearly a tenth of its commuters stay in Bosham for work. Driving is how nearly four in five commuters got to work at the census. Working mainly from home: 40% of workers, above West Sussex’s towns (33%) and England’s towns (31%) alike. Walking, cycling and public transport carried 19% of commuters at the census.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Bosham logged 132 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 16 complaints of anti-social conduct. There were 5.1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below West Sussex’s towns (11.7) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Violence and sexual offences made up 46% of the total.
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.
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bosham. Best known first.
CathedralChichester Cathedral3.9 km outside town, to the east
MuseumFishbourne Roman Palace1.9 km outside town, to the east
CastleChichester Castle4.3 km outside town, to the east
MuseumThe Novium3.9 km outside town, to the east
Art galleryPallant House Gallery4.1 km outside town, to the eastPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustQuay Meadow100 m outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
4 notable people were born in Bosham.
Town in West Sussex, England
Bosham is a built-up area of 2,693 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bosham | 2,693 | — | A− | D | B | A− |
| Hambrook and Nutbourne | 2,752 | 1.7 | C | D | B− | B+ |
| Fishbourne | 3,368 | 1.8 | B− | D | C | A− |
| Southbourne | 4,150 | 2.8 | C+ | D | B− | B+ |
| West Thorney | 1,729 | 3.3 | — | C | A+ | A− |
| Chichester | 31,709 | 3.5 | C− | D | D | C+ |
| Hunston | 1,154 | 3.6 | — | C− | B− | C+ |
| Westbourne | 1,938 | 3.8 | — | D | B | B+ |
West Thorney, Hunston and Westbourne have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 8.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity.
GCSE results beat 94% of towns in England, and primary results beat 86% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by West Sussex council.
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
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.