Town Pop. 1,029

Living in Castle Hedingham: Liveability Score 47/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Castle Hedingham comes out at 47/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Among the 9 scored places sharing the CO9 postcode district, Castle Hedingham ranks 3rd. Also scoring 80 or better: safety (93).

Below 30/100: lifestyle (14), transport (19) and healthcare (21). That puts Castle Hedingham in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the CO9 postcode district.

47
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Castle Hedingham scores 47 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Castle Hedingham.
Or compare:
CO9 1AA CO9 2AA CO9 3AA CO9 4AA CO9 9AA CO9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
93
54.4 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 34 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Other theft 6 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Vehicle crime 6 crimes
↑ 21% above national average
Public order 3 crimes
↓ 55% below national average
Burglary 3 crimes
↓ 17% below national average
other 4 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Airport/Airfield 17 crimes
  2. 2 Bowmans Park 7 crimes
  3. 3 Kirby Hall Road 4 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 5.5 · PM2.5 6.8 · PM10 11.7 µg/m³
73
Green Space 36
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
31
2 schools in area · 5 within 4km
2Good
  • Hedingham School and Sixth FormSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • de Vere Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
21
A&E departmentsColchester General Hospital13.8 mi
Broomfield Hospital15.6 mi
Cambridge Biomedical Campus22.9 mi
Hospital waitsMid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust3.4 mi
Routine referral (median)17 wks
Treated within 18 weeks50.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs68%
Nearest GP surgeryHedingham Medical Centre1.1 mi
GP capacity2,473 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband
60
Full fibre (FTTP)91.3%
available across Braintree
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
83.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
83.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 38 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
66
Employment rate57%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed57%Unemployed2%Retired30.4%Student3.8%Other inactive6.8%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial39.7%Skilled & technical39.9%Routine & elementary20.4%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications17.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.8%Level 3 (A levels)18.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)28%Apprenticeship5.7%Other (incl. vocational)3.1%
Home ownership71.8%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
61
Council tax Braintree · 2026-27
A £1,520
B £1,773
C £2,027
D £2,280
E £2,787
F £3,293
G £3,800
H £4,560
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Anglian Water
Average bill regional £498/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
19
Sudbury 6.7 mi
Bures 7.5 mi
Braintree 8.1 mi
J9 M11 17.9 mi
J9A M11 18.2 mi
J9A M11 18.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
14
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Some 2
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Castle Hedingham in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Sible Hedingham 48 0.9 mi away ⇄
Great Yeldham 41 2.4 mi away ⇄
Wickham St Paul 38 3.0 mi away ⇄
Toppesfield 41 3.0 mi away ⇄
Gosfield 49 3.5 mi away ⇄
Halstead (Braintree) 47 3.8 mi away ⇄
School Green 0 4.1 mi away ⇄
Ridgewell 41 4.4 mi away ⇄
Pebmarsh 42 4.7 mi away ⇄
Colne Engaine 47 5.2 mi away ⇄
Wethersfield 39 5.2 mi away ⇄
Shalford (Braintree) 41 5.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Castle Hedingham a nice place to live?

Castle Hedingham has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Castle Hedingham is 47/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Castle Hedingham?

Castle Hedingham is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 93/100. There were 56 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Castle Hedingham?

Among the top-rated schools in Castle Hedingham are Hedingham School and Sixth Form and de Vere Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Castle Hedingham in total.

Castle Hedingham in context

See the best places to live in Essex, ranked

Postcode districts in Castle Hedingham

CO9 44 ⇄

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