Hammer’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Hammer’s built-up area.
28% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HammerWest Sussex
Some 345 people live in this village, in West Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Dave Spicer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
345
Census 2021 · Chichester council
Median home
£495K
19 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.3
15% are 65+ · West Sussex 23%
Degree level
51%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hammer a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Hammer has none; the figures on this page are still real. 3 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 11% of commuters. Homes change hands at a median £495,000.
What makes Hammer stand out
The 3 things Hammer does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
3 listed buildings
0 Grade II*; 3.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.8 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 Hammer.
Work & commute
Households in Hammer earn more than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: £73K a year
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 44% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
40% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Unemployment benefit claims came to 1.3% of 16 to 64s in 2026, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%). The car carried nearly nine in ten commuters at the census.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
Train5%
On foot4%
Bicycle3%
40%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
44%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£73K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
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
More households own their home in Hammer than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 87%
Renting privately is how 10% of households live. Social housing holds 3% of households, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,333 a month across the Chichester council area.
£495Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hammer£495K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £625,000 | 6 |
| Semi-detached | £450,000 | 11 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,333
average private rent a month, Chichester council area
£2,460
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
Violence is recorded less often in Hammer than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.8 per 1,000 residents a year
Police recorded 7 crimes inside Hammer’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. There were 1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both West Sussex’s towns (11.6) and England’s towns (7.8).
4.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft3
Public order1
Drugs1
Robbery1
Other crime1
Violence & sexual0
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
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.
4.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
91% of people in Hammer say their health is good or very good, more than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Hammer is Royal Surrey County Hospital, 12.5 miles away. 10% of residents have a disability, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Seeing a GP means leaving Hammer: the nearest practice is 1.8 miles away.
91%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 0%
| Census 2021 | Hammer | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 91% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 0% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 10% | 17% | 17% |
76.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
88.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Old homes shape Hammer: 28% were built before 1919, more than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Per 10,000 residents, Hammer counts 87 listed buildings. Historic England’s list names 3 listed buildings locally, every one Grade II. Of the town’s land, 2% lies in conservation areas, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%).
3listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
28%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
87
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
Hammer is a graduates’ town: 51% hold a degree, more than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns
20% are under 15, above West Sussex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Over-65s are 15% of the population. At 45.3, the median resident of Hammer sits in the middle of the age range. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 8.3% of the population.
45.3median age
HammerWest SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
15%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level51%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hammer | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.3% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 36% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 15% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 8.4% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.1% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 51% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Haslemere Educational Museum and 3 more in and around Hammer
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Hammer. Best known first.
MuseumHaslemere Educational Museum2.5 km outside town, to the eastAttractionAttractionHindhead Commons and the Devil's Punch Bowl3.5 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionHollycombe Steam Collection3.4 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumHaslemere Education Museum2.5 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 (1)
- Haslemere Educational Museum: David960, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hammer
13pages on Hammer
The big questions
Safety4.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £495K · rent £1,333 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street Heath RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 76.7 (men), 88.2 (women)Work & commute59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Hammer’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HaslemereLiphookHindheadFernhurstHeadley Down and HeadleyLindfordBordonHammer
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammer | 345 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Haslemere | 11,897 | 1.2 | A | C+ | B | B |
| Liphook | 7,128 | 2.3 | A | B | B− | A− |
| Hindhead | 6,444 | 2.6 | A | B− | B+ | B+ |
| Fernhurst | 1,830 | 2.7 | — | D | A− | B |
| Headley Down and Headley | 4,935 | 3.4 | B+ | B− | A− | A− |
| Lindford | 2,740 | 4.8 | C+ | B+ | C+ | C+ |
| Bordon | 9,349 | 5.1 | C+ | A | C− | C |
Fernhurst has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hammer
How many listed buildings are there in Hammer?
3 on Historic England’s list. That is 3.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Hammer expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £450,000 and detached houses £625,000.
Who lives in Hammer?
At the 2021 Census, 8.3% of Hammer’s 345 residents were 15 to 24 and 15% were 65 or over, against 12% and 18% across England’s towns.
About Hammer
Village in West Sussex, England
Hammer is a built-up area of 345 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
- 345 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chichester
- County
- West Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006005
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.