Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
4,917 people call this town in West Sussex, South East home. Over-65s are 23% of the population.
Some subjects shine; others lag. Overall, Copthorne earns a B−: better than 51% of UK towns, and #19 of 40 in West Sussex. Its strongest is health: life expectancy 82.1 for men, 84.5 for women. Jobs & income is a strength too — mean household income £69,706; 3.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Police record more crime here than in most towns (C−): police record 34.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 15.8 home and vehicle crimes. Against UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, it has more crime per resident than 82%. It takes 6.6 years of household income in the Mid Sussex council area to buy the median home, at £465,000. Hazards are a real consideration (D): 3.8% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea.
Figures: life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years.
The 3 things Copthorne does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Copthorne is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists 12 buildings inside Copthorne’s built-up area.
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Copthorne.
At the census, 14% of people here had a disability, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Asked at the census, 86% of residents of Copthorne said they were in good or very good health. There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 2 miles off.
| Census 2021 | Copthorne | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.4% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
At the 10 primary schools within 3 km, 57% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Below is one of its 2 schools, and why it was picked. Secondary results at the 4 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 46.8, with 44% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copthorne CofE Junior SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 223 | C |
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 14.4 reports per 1,000, above West Sussex’s towns (11.5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. 399 crimes and 94 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Copthorne’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. 42% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
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.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 8% of the housing. Relative to its size, Copthorne keeps 24 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Driving is how 88% of commuters got to work at the census. 29% of commuters travelled under 5 km, below West Sussex’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (45%) alike. About 6% of its commuters stay in Copthorne for work. Jobs per working resident: 0.8.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
People 65 and over make up 23% of the town, about level with West Sussex’s towns (23%) and above England’s towns (18%). Line up the people of Copthorne by age and the one in the middle is 47.6. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for just over a tenth of the town.
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Copthorne | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.9% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
10% rent privately, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%). Council and housing-body homes hold 4% of households. The median sale, £465,000, comes from 347 standard sales inside Copthorne’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £560,000 | 157 |
| Semi-detached | £437,497 | 96 |
| Terraced | £408,000 | 67 |
| Flat or maisonette | £243,500 | 27 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Copthorne. Best known first.
ZooBritish Wildlife Centre3.7 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumCrawley Museum3.9 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionGo Ape Crawley4.6 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionTulleys Farm2.8 km outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copthorne | 4,917 | — | B− | B− | C− | A |
| Crawley Down | 5,775 | 2.1 | A+ | B− | A | A |
| Smallfield | 2,613 | 2.4 | C− | C | D | B |
| Felbridge | 2,031 | 2.9 | — | C− | B+ | A− |
| Horley | 27,067 | 3.4 | B | C+ | C+ | B |
| Crawley | 120,567 | 3.7 | C− | C− | D | C+ |
| East Grinstead | 26,350 | 4.5 | A− | B | B− | A− |
| Blindley Heath | 1,289 | 4.8 | — | C− | B− | C+ |
Felbridge and Blindley Heath have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
An older town. At the 2021 Census, 23% of residents were 65 or over and 30% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 15% were under 15.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £465,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £243,500, terraced houses £408,000, semi-detached houses £437,497 and detached houses £560,000.
Town in West Sussex, England
Copthorne is a built-up area of 4,917 people, in the Mid Sussex 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
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.