Cocking’s story
24 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Cocking’s built-up area.
43% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
CockingWest Sussex
473 people live in this village in West Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Charlesdrakew · Public domain
Population
473
Census 2021 · Chichester council
Median home
£600K
13 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.1
25% are 65+ · West Sussex 23%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Cocking a good place to live?
Cocking has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 9% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 24 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. The median sale price is £600,000.
What makes Cocking stand out
The 3 things Cocking does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% 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 Cocking Church; 20.8 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.2 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 Cocking.
Work & commute
Cocking is a driving town: 89% of commuters go by car, above West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
32% of commuters travelled under 5 km, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (45%). The average household earns £53K a year before tax. Of the commuters living in Cocking, 4% work in the town itself. Jobs per working resident: 0.6.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot4%
Bus3%
Bicycle3%
32%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
£53K
mean household income, before tax
2.7%
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
Private renting is more common in Cocking than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 25% of households
The owner-occupied share of households is 55%. 18% of households rent from a council or housing body. Private rents average £1,333 a month across the Chichester council area.
£600Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cocking£600K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £750,000 | 9 |
55%
of households own their home · England 61%
25%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,333
average private rent a month, Chichester council area
£2,456
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 Cocking than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.3 per 1,000 residents a year
The violent crime rate is 12.7 per 1,000 residents a year. Over the year to August 2026, 15 offences were reported in Cocking. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 4.2 reports per 1,000, below West Sussex’s towns (11.6) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Of all the crimes, 53% were violence and sexual offences.
12.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Drugs4
Damage & arson2
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Anti-social0
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.
12.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.2
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
Fewer people in Cocking live with a disability than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 13%
Self-reported good health: 85% of Cocking’s residents. 3.8% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below both West Sussex’s towns (4.5%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Also worth knowing: the nearest A&E to Cocking is St Richard's Hospital, 7.5 miles away.
85%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Cocking | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.8% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
80.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Cocking is rich in listed buildings: 507 per 10,000 residents, more than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Cocking’s listed buildings include Cocking Church, Grade I. Homes from before 1919 make up 43% of the total, higher than both West Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (16%). The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
24listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II23
Among them · Grade I
- Cocking Church Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
43%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
507
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Older residents shape Cocking: 25% are 65 or over, above West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
The median resident of Cocking is 50.1 years old. People aged 15 to 24 are 9.3% of the population. Children under 15 make up 18%, above West Sussex’s towns (17%) and close to England’s towns (18%).
50.1median age
CockingWest SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 86 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.
| Cocking | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.3% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.8% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Weald & Downland Open Air Museum and 8 more in and around Cocking
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cocking. Best known first.
MuseumWeald & Downland Open Air Museum4.5 km outside town, to the south
CastleCowdray Castle3.9 km outside town, to the north
GardenWest Dean House4.8 km outside town, to the south
MuseumWeald and Downland Gridshell4.4 km outside town, to the southGardenGarden · National TrustWoolbeding Gardens. National Trust.4.7 km outside town, to the northGardenGardenWest Dean Gardens5 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Weald & Downland Open Air Museum: Adrian Cable, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cowdray Castle: Charlesdrakew at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- West Dean House: Mike White, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Weald and Downland Gridshell: Janine Forbes, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cocking
14pages on Cocking
The big questions
Safety12.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £600K · rent £1,333 a monthHousing2 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.5 (men), 86.4 (women)Work & commute55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Cocking’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MidhurstEasebourneMid LavantPetworthTangmereFernhurstWesthampnettCocking
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocking | 473 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Midhurst | 5,366 | 2.2 | B− | D | B+ | B+ |
| Easebourne | 1,396 | 3.2 | — | D | A− | B+ |
| Mid Lavant | 1,441 | 5.6 | — | D | B+ | B+ |
| Petworth | 2,592 | 6.7 | C+ | D | B+ | B+ |
| Tangmere | 4,000 | 6.9 | C | C | B | C+ |
| Fernhurst | 1,830 | 7 | — | D | A− | B |
| Westhampnett | 1,238 | 7 | — | D | D | A− |
Easebourne, Mid Lavant, Fernhurst and Westhampnett have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cocking
How many listed buildings are there in Cocking?
That is 20.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Cocking Church.
About Cocking
Village in West Sussex, England
Cocking is a built-up area of 473 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
- 473 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chichester
- County
- West Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006308
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.