West Wittering’s story
14 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside West Wittering’s built-up area.
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
West WitteringWest Sussex
Population 823: a village in West Sussex, South East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: The Voice of Hassocks · CC0
Population
823
Census 2021 · Chichester council
Median home
£780K
45 sales in 3 years
Median age
58.4
40% are 65+ · West Sussex 23%
Degree level
45%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is West Wittering a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, West Wittering is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. Homes change hands at a median £780,000. Its listed buildings number 14, with 1 at Grade I. It skews older: 40% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes West Wittering stand out
The 3 things West Wittering does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2.8 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul; 7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
40% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Wittering.
Who lives here
Children make up only 11% of West Wittering, fewer than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
58.4median age
Half of West Wittering is older than 58.4, half younger. People 65 and over make up 40% of the town, above West Sussex’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Aged 15 to 24: nearly one in ten residents.
West WitteringWest SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
40%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level45%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 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.
| West Wittering | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 40% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.7% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 45% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around West Wittering
At the 2 primary schools within 3 km, 44% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below. 95 pupils attend West Wittering’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Wittering Parochial Church of England SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 95 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 19% in West Wittering, fewer than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
14%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 43% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
43% of workers worked mainly from home, above both West Sussex’s towns (33%) and England’s towns (31%). The car carried just over four in five commuters at the census. Of the commuters living in West Wittering, 4% work in the town itself. Among 16 to 64s, 4.2% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
On foot5%
Bicycle5%
Bus2%
Train1%
Underground, tram1%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
mean household income, before tax
4.2%
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
Private renting is less common in West Wittering than in West Sussex’s towns or across England’s towns: 13%
£780Kmedian sale
Households that own their home make up 74%. Private rents average £1,333 a month across the Chichester council area. That is the middle of 45 standard sales inside West Wittering’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
West Wittering£780K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £945,000 | 34 |
| Semi-detached | £440,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £372,500 | 5 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,333
average private rent a month, Chichester council area
£2,450
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
West Wittering records less burglary and damage per resident than West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns, at 3.7 per 1,000 a year
10.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Violence came to 10.9 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (17.5) and England’s towns (22). In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 22 crimes and 5 reports of anti-social behaviour inside West Wittering’s built-up area.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Other theft6
Public order2
Drugs2
Damage & arson1
Vehicle crime1
Bicycle theft1
Other crime1
Anti-social5
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.
10.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
22
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
Most people in West Wittering (84%) report good or very good health
84%good or very good health
The nearest A&E to West Wittering is St Richard's Hospital, 7 miles away. Seeing a GP means leaving West Wittering: the nearest practice is 1.1 miles away. 16% of residents have a disability, about level with West Sussex’s towns (17%) and below England’s towns (17%).
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | West Wittering | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
78.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
West Wittering is rich in listed buildings: 170 per 10,000 residents, more than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
14listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them. West Wittering’s listed buildings include The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Grade I. Of the town’s land, 25% lies in conservation areas, above both West Sussex’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%).
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II13
Among them · Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
15%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
170
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about West Wittering
12pages on West Wittering
The big questions
Safety10.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £780K · rent £1,333 a monthHousing13 sold in 12 months · busiest street Rookwood RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 78.9 (men), 85.3 (women)Work & commute61% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
About West Wittering
Village in West Sussex, England
West Wittering is a built-up area of 823 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
- 823 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chichester
- County
- West Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006639
West Wittering’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
East WitteringWest ThorneySouth HaylingBoshamStokeHambrook and NutbourneSouthbourneWest Wittering
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Wittering | 823 | — | — | — | — | — |
| East Wittering | 6,060 | 1.7 | C− | D | B+ | B |
| West Thorney | 1,729 | 3.1 | — | C | A+ | A− |
| South Hayling | 15,305 | 3.4 | D− | C− | C | C+ |
| Bosham | 2,693 | 4.1 | A− | D | B | A− |
| Stoke | 1,267 | 4.5 | — | D | B+ | B |
| Hambrook and Nutbourne | 2,752 | 4.6 | C | D | B− | B+ |
| Southbourne | 4,150 | 4.7 | C+ | D | B− | B+ |
West Thorney and Stoke have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about West Wittering
Is West Wittering expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £372,500, semi-detached houses £440,000 and detached houses £945,000.
How many listed buildings are there in West Wittering?
That is 7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul.
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.