Kirdford’s story
23 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Kirdford’s built-up area.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
KirdfordWest Sussex
Some 732 people live in this village, in West Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Charlesdrakew · Public domain
Population
732
Census 2021 · Chichester council
Median home
£450K
27 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.5
21% are 65+ · West Sussex 23%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Kirdford a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Kirdford has none; the figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 9% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 23 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. The median sale price is £450,000.
What makes Kirdford stand out
The 3 things Kirdford 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 The Parish Church of St John the Baptist; 12.9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.6 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 Kirdford.
Work & commute
Only 14% of Kirdford’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns
9%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Driving is how 89% of commuters got to work at the census. Working mainly from home: 39% of workers, above both West Sussex’s towns (33%) and England’s towns (31%). The average household earns £69K a year before tax. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
14%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£69K
mean household income, before tax
2%
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 Kirdford: 14%, fewer than in West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
£450Kmedian sale
Social housing holds 22% of households, above West Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £1,333 a month across the Chichester council area. Home ownership covers 62% of households.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Kirdford£450K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £550,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £430,000 | 13 |
62%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,333
average private rent a month, Chichester council area
£2,552
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 Kirdford than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 9.1 per 1,000 residents a year
9.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Over the year to August 2026, 20 offences were reported in Kirdford, along with 3 incidents of anti-social behaviour. There were 4.6 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both West Sussex’s towns (11.6) and England’s towns (7.8). 55% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Other theft3
Vehicle crime2
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Burglary1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social3
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.
9.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
20
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
Bad health is less common in Kirdford than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.7% of residents
85%good or very good health
The nearest A&E to Kirdford is Royal Surrey County Hospital, 14.5 miles away. Self-reported good health: 85% of the town’s residents. 14% of residents have a disability, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Seeing a GP means leaving Kirdford: the nearest practice is 3.1 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Kirdford | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.7% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 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 · 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.
History
Kirdford is rich in listed buildings: 314 per 10,000 residents, more than West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns
23listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Kirdford’s listed buildings include The Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Grade I. 30% of its homes were built before 1919, above both West Sussex’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (16%). The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II22
Among them · Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
30%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
314
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
Children make up 19% of Kirdford, above West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
45.5median age
21% of residents are 65 or over, lower than West Sussex’s towns (23%) yet higher than England’s towns (18%). The share aged 15 to 24 is 8.6%. Half of Kirdford is older than 45.5, half younger. Graduates make up 37% of adults.
KirdfordWest SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
21%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Kirdford | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.6% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 21% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.2% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kirdford
14pages on Kirdford
The big questions
Safety9.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £450K · rent £1,333 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street TownfieldSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.6 (men), 88.5 (women)Work & commute63% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Famous people from Kirdford
3 notable people were born in Kirdford.
J
James Challen, Jr.Cricketer (1825-1900)Photo credits
Frederick Haines: From a painting by John Collier, Public domain · Neil Landon: Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0
About Kirdford
Village in West Sussex, England
Kirdford is a built-up area of 732 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
- 732 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chichester
- County
- West Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006116
Kirdford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
IfoldLoxwoodPetworthBillingshurstCodmore HillPulboroughRudgwickKirdford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirdford | 732 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ifold | 1,202 | 2.6 | — | D | A+ | A |
| Loxwood | 1,026 | 3.2 | — | D | B+ | A |
| Petworth | 2,592 | 4.1 | C+ | D | B+ | B+ |
| Billingshurst | 9,121 | 4.6 | B+ | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Codmore Hill | 1,288 | 5.2 | — | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Pulborough | 3,651 | 5.7 | C+ | B− | B− | B+ |
| Rudgwick | 2,145 | 5.9 | — | C− | A | A− |
Ifold, Loxwood, Codmore Hill and Rudgwick have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Kirdford
How many listed buildings are there in Kirdford?
That is 12.9 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is The Parish Church of St John the Baptist.
Is Kirdford expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £430,000 and detached houses £550,000.
How much is council tax in Kirdford?
Band D council tax in Kirdford is £2,552 for 2026–27, more than in 77% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
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.