Ifold’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Ifold’s built-up area.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
IfoldWest Sussex
Population 1,202: a village in West Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Andy Potter · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,202
Census 2021 · Chichester council
Median home
£875K
56 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.2
27% are 65+ · West Sussex 23%
Degree level
47%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Ifold a good place to live?
Crime is low (A+): police record 3.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 2.8 home and vehicle crimes. Health outcomes beat most towns: life expectancy is 82.6 for men and 88.5 for women. Buying in is costly: a typical home costs £875,000 and rent runs £1,333 a month. It also trails on schools (D) — primary results beat 15% of towns in England. Most journeys need a car: on the way to work, 7% walk, cycle or take a bus or train.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021. Ifold is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
How Ifold grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Ifold is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Ifold is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
SafetyNear the top of the towns comparedA+Open →Cost of livingMedian sale £875,000, 15.2 years of area incomeDOpen →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesAOpen →WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 15% of towns in EnglandDOpen →Jobs & income1.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsA−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsCOpen →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 5% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeDOpen →Civic life0 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Ifold stand out
The 3 things Ifold does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
3.2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
100%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 100%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ifold.
Safety
Fewer crimes per resident in Ifold than in 100% of UK towns
3.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Over the year to August 2026, 11 offences were reported in Ifold. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Ifold has less crime per resident than 100% of them. There were 0.6 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both West Sussex’s towns (11.7) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences accounted for 36% of recorded crime.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 100% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4
Other theft4
Burglary2
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Drugs0
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.
3.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
11
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.
HousingCost of living grade D
Private renting is less common in Ifold than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 5%
£875Kmedian sale
95% of households own their home, above West Sussex’s towns (68%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. Behind the median of £875,000: 56 standard sales inside Ifold’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Ifold£875K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £875,000 | 54 |
95%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,333
average private rent a month, Chichester council area
£2,474
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Ifold’s life expectancy beats 94% of UK towns
89%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
2.7% of residents report bad or very bad health. At the census, 89% of people in Ifold called their health good or very good, above West Sussex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. Also worth knowing: this West Sussex town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1 miles away. A disability affects just over a tenth of people locally.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 89%Fair 8%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Ifold | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 89% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.7% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
82.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
88.5
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
More commuters in Ifold drive than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 91%
7%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 57% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £69K a year before tax, higher than both West Sussex’s towns (£63K) and England’s towns (£55K). Working from home was the norm for 57% of workers at the census. 2% of commuters who live in Ifold also work there. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.1%.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot3%
Bus2%
Train2%
7%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
57%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£69K
mean household income, before tax
1.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 7% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
All 2 of Ifold’s listed buildings are Grade II
2listed buildingsCHistory Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Before 1919: that is when nearly a fifth of homes were built. Per 10,000 residents, Ifold counts 17 listed buildings, below West Sussex’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39) alike.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
17
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
Degrees are more common in Ifold than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 47% of adults
53.2median age
16% are under 15, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 8.5% of residents. The middle age in Ifold is 53.2. People 65 and over make up 27% of the town.
IfoldWest SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications9%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level47%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Ifold | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 9.2% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 47% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ifold
14pages on Ifold
The big questions
SafetyA+3.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £875K · rent £1,333 a monthHousing17 sold in 12 months · busiest street The DriveSchoolsDHealthALife expectancy 82.6 (men), 88.5 (women)Work & commuteA−67% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB+0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
About Ifold
Village in West Sussex, England
Ifold is a built-up area of 1,202 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
- 1,202 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chichester
- County
- West Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006031
Ifold’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LoxwoodRudgwickBillingshurstChiddingfoldCranleighSlinfoldPetworthIfold
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ifold | 1,202 | — | — | D | A+ | A |
| Loxwood | 1,026 | 1 | — | D | B+ | A |
| Rudgwick | 2,145 | 4.1 | — | C− | A | A− |
| Billingshurst | 9,121 | 5.2 | B+ | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Chiddingfold | 2,160 | 5.2 | — | C | A+ | A |
| Cranleigh | 10,430 | 5.5 | A− | C+ | B | A |
| Slinfold | 1,163 | 5.9 | — | C− | A− | A− |
| Petworth | 2,592 | 6.6 | C+ | D | B+ | B+ |
Loxwood, Rudgwick, Chiddingfold and Slinfold have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Ifold
Is Ifold expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £875,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
Are schools in Ifold good?
Primary results trail 85% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). Places are handled by West Sussex council.
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.