Clapham’s story
12 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Clapham’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ClaphamWest Sussex
Population 312: a village in West Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ian Hawfinch · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
312
Census 2021 · Arun council
Median home
£455K
11 sales in 3 years
Median age
58.5
40% are 65+ · West Sussex 23%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Clapham a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Clapham has no grades; its figures are still real. 8% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 12, with 1 at Grade I. It skews older: two in five residents are 65 or over.
What makes Clapham stand out
The 3 things Clapham does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including The Parish Church of St Mary; 15.8 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
40% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Clapham.
Who lives here
Children make up only 7.7% of Clapham, fewer than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
58.5median age
6.1% of the population is aged 15 to 24, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (9.8%) and England’s towns (12%). Clapham has a median age of 58.5. Degrees are held by just over a third of adults.
ClaphamWest SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
40%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications23%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all 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.
| Clapham | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 7.7% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.1% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 40% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 23% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.4% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Clapham
Secondary results at the one secondary school within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 57.2, with 66% at grade 5 or above in English and maths. Below is its only school. Key Stage 2 results at the 7 primary schools within 3 km: 62% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clapham and Patching CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 52 | D− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Commuters in Clapham travel far: only 23% go under 5 km, fewer than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
8%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 35% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 3.4% of 16 to 64s in 2026, above both West Sussex’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%). Nearly nine in ten commuters took the car to work at the census. Clapham counts 1.3 jobs per working resident.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
35%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
3.4%
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
Few households rent privately in Clapham: 12%, fewer than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
£455Kmedian sale
Just over three quarters of households own their home, above both West Sussex’s towns (68%) and England’s towns (61%). Social renters account for one in ten households. Half of the 11 standard sales inside Clapham’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £455,000.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Clapham£455K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £492,500 | 6 |
76%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,231
average private rent a month, Arun council area
£2,534
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
Burglary and damage are rarer in Clapham than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.4 per 1,000 residents a year
16violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
The 12 months to August 2026 brought 15 recorded crimes inside Clapham’s built-up area, and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence came to 16 per 1,000 residents a year, below both West Sussex’s towns (17.5) and England’s towns (22). Of all the crimes, 33% were violence and sexual offences.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft6
Violence & sexual5
Burglary2
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Anti-social1
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.
16
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
15
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
Only 73% of people in Clapham say their health is good or very good, fewer than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
73%good or very good health
Disability touches 28% of Clapham’s population. 11% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than both West Sussex’s towns (4.5%) and England’s towns (5.2%). There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 2.2 miles off.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 73%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 11%
| Census 2021 | Clapham | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 73% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 11% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 28% | 17% | 17% |
82.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Clapham are listed than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 385 per 10,000 residents
12listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Clapham’s listed buildings include The Parish Church of St Mary, Grade I. Conservation areas cover 20% of the town’s land, higher than both West Sussex’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%). Grade II* covers 1 of them, Grade I 1.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II10
Among them · Grade I
- The Parish Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
385
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 Clapham
13pages on Clapham
The big questions
Safety16 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £455K · rent £1,231 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street The StreetSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.3 (men), 84.9 (women)Work & commute52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Cissbury Ring and 2 more in and around Clapham
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Clapham. Best known first.
Fort · National TrustCissbury Ring4.4 km outside town, to the east
CastleCastle Goring800 m outside town, to the southeastHistoric siteHistoric siteHigh Salvington Windmill2.6 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Cissbury Ring: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castle Goring: Peetred at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Clapham
Village in West Sussex, England
Clapham is a built-up area of 312 people, in the Arun 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
- 312 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Arun
- County
- West Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006521
Clapham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
FindonRustingtonWorthingLittlehamptonWickArundelStorringtonClapham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clapham | 312 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Findon | 1,840 | 2.2 | — | D− | A− | B+ |
| Rustington | 33,885 | 2.8 | C+ | D− | B+ | B |
| Worthing | 111,635 | 2.8 | C | D | C | C |
| Littlehampton | 19,060 | 4.4 | D− | D | D | C− |
| Wick | 13,231 | 4.7 | D− | D | C− | C− |
| Arundel | 3,035 | 5.1 | B | D− | C | A− |
| Storrington | 8,713 | 5.2 | B | C | B | A |
Findon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Clapham
How many listed buildings are there in Clapham?
That is 15.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is The Parish Church of St Mary. 20% of Clapham’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Is Clapham expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £455,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Arun council area averaged £1,231 a month in August 2026.
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.