Westbourne’s story
54 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Westbourne’s built-up area.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WestbourneWest Sussex
In West Sussex, South East, this village has 1,938 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Charles · Public domain
Population
1,938
Census 2021 · Chichester council
Median home
£423K
82 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.9
23% are 65+ · West Sussex 23%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Westbourne a good place to live?
Residents are healthier than most: life expectancy is 82.4 for men and 83.3 for women. Its lowest grade is for cost of living (D): a typical home costs £422,500 and rent runs £1,333 a month. Schools are weaker too — primary results beat just over a quarter of towns in England; secondary results beat 6% of towns in England. Natural hazards weigh more here (D): 7.7% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for safety and B for walkability.
Figures: life expectancy, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021. Westbourne is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
How Westbourne grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Westbourne is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Westbourne is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
Hazard riskAmong the most exposed to natural hazardsDOpen →Cost of livingMedian sale £422,500, 7.3 years of area incomeDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 26% of towns in England; secondary results beat 6% of towns in EnglandDOpen →HealthAbove the middle of the towns comparedB+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £61,208C+Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentBOpen →WalkabilityAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 57% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA+Open →Civic life2.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Westbourne stand out
The 3 things Westbourne does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including The Parish Church of St John the Baptist; 11.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Flood risk, against UK towns
Flood risk
8% of homes at risk
High or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea: more than in 94% of UK towns
Environment Agency flood maps, defences counted.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Westbourne.
History
More buildings in Westbourne are listed than in West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 279 per 10,000 residents
54listed buildingsAHistory Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 34% of Westbourne’s land, above West Sussex’s towns (4%) and England’s towns (7%) alike. Its listed buildings include The Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Grade I. It has 54 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*. Before 1919: that is when 30% of homes were built.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II52
Among them · Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
30%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
279
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsD
School results in Westbourne are weaker than in 89% of towns in England
DSchool Grade
Secondary results at the 3 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 37.3, with 31% at grade 5 or above in English and maths. Below is its only school. 57% of pupils at the 6 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westbourne Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | – | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D
Few households rent privately in Westbourne: 16%, fewer than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
£423Kmedian sale
The £422,500 median rests on 82 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026). Nearly two thirds of households own their home, between West Sussex’s towns (68%) and England’s towns (61%). The social rented sector houses 18% of households.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Westbourne£423K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £617,500 | 22 |
| Semi-detached | £440,000 | 25 |
| Terraced | £355,000 | 27 |
| Flat or maisonette | £159,000 | 8 |
65%
of households own their home · England 61%
16%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,333
average private rent a month, Chichester council area
£2,524
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
84% of people in Westbourne rate their health good or very good
84%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
The nearest A&E to Westbourne is Queen Alexandra Hospital, 6.4 miles away. At the census, 15% of people here had a disability, lower than both West Sussex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Seeing a GP means leaving Westbourne: the nearest practice is 1.2 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Westbourne | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
82.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Burglary and damage hit Westbourne harder than West Sussex’s towns or England’s towns: 14.3 per 1,000 residents a year
14.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Violence and sexual offences accounted for just over a third of recorded crime. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 58 offences in Westbourne and 27 cases of nuisance behaviour. Violent crime comes to 14.6 per 1,000 residents a year. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 13.4 reports per 1,000, above West Sussex’s towns (11.5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 37% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual20
Damage & arson10
Vehicle crime8
Public order5
Other theft4
Burglary4
Shoplifting3
Other crime2
Anti-social27
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.
14.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
58
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
4.2% of 16 to 64s in Westbourne claim unemployment benefits, more than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
15%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 15% of commuters got to work without a car. Of the commuters living in Westbourne, 5% work in the town itself. This West Sussex town counts 0.3 jobs per working resident. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 30%, below West Sussex’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (45%) alike.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
On foot8%
Bicycle4%
Train2%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
33%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£61K
mean household income, before tax
4.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 55% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Westbourne is a graduates’ town: 39% hold a degree, more than in both West Sussex’s towns and England’s towns
46.9median age
The 15-to-24 age group: 8.9%, below both West Sussex’s towns (9.8%) and England’s towns (12%). Retirement age and beyond: nearly a quarter of residents are 65 or older. The middle age in Westbourne is 46.9.
WestbourneWest SussexEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Westbourne | West Sussex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.9% | 9.8% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 32% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Sussex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Westbourne
15pages on Westbourne
The big questions
SafetyB14.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £423K · rent £1,333 a monthHousing35 sold in 12 months · busiest street North StreetSchoolsD1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 82.4 (men), 83.3 (women)Work & commuteC+51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD7.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Warblingon Castle and 2 more in and around Westbourne
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Westbourne. Best known first.
CastleWarblingon Castle3 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumSpring Arts and Heritage Centre3.6 km outside town, to the west
MuseumEmsworth Museum1.2 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Warblingon Castle: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Spring Arts and Heritage Centre: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Emsworth Museum: Shazz, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Westbourne
Village in West Sussex, England
Westbourne is a built-up area of 1,938 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
- 1,938 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Chichester
- County
- West Sussex
- Region
- South East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006499
Westbourne’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
EmsworthSouthbourneHambrook and NutbourneRowlands CastleHavantWest ThorneyBoshamWestbourne
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westbourne | 1,938 | — | — | D | B | B+ |
| Emsworth | 11,512 | 0.9 | C+ | D | B− | A− |
| Southbourne | 4,150 | 1.2 | C+ | D | B− | B+ |
| Hambrook and Nutbourne | 2,752 | 2.1 | C | D | B− | B+ |
| Rowlands Castle | 2,969 | 2.3 | B− | B− | C+ | A |
| Havant | 46,964 | 2.7 | D− | C+ | D | C− |
| West Thorney | 1,729 | 3 | — | C | A+ | A− |
| Bosham | 2,693 | 3.8 | A− | D | B | A− |
West Thorney has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Westbourne
How many listed buildings are there in Westbourne?
That is 11.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is The Parish Church of St John the Baptist.
Does Westbourne flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Are schools in Westbourne good?
GCSE results trail 94% of towns in England, and primary results trail 74% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by West Sussex council.
Is Westbourne expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £422,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £159,000, terraced houses £355,000, semi-detached houses £440,000 and detached houses £617,500.
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.