Town Pop. 282

Living in Highsted: Liveability Score 49/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Highsted comes out at 49/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is broadband: 99/100 against a national town median of 60/100. That makes it the 4th highest-scoring of the 12 places in the ME9 postcode district.

The ME9 district averages 40/100, putting Highsted 9 points above its own postcode area. On broadband specifically, Highsted sits 69 points above the ME9 district figure of 30/100. Safety (93) sits at 80/100 or above. For the surrounding area, see ME9 postcode district.

49
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.

Highsted scores 49 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Highsted.
Or compare:
ME9 0AA ME9 7AA ME9 8AA ME9 9AB ME9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
93
180.9 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 20 crimes
↑ 113% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 11 crimes
↑ 157% above national average
Vehicle crime 6 crimes
↑ 344% above national average
Other theft 5 crimes
↑ 185% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 4 crimes
↑ 109% above national average
other 5 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 The Street 9 crimes
  2. 2 Hawks Hill Lane 8 crimes
  3. 3 Bashford Barn Lane 5 crimes

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

Environment
60
Air Quality NO₂ 7.861 · PM2.5 6.953 · PM10 11.32 µg/m³
71
Green Space 34
Parks Ample 5
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
29
2 schools in area · 23 within 4km
2Outstanding
  • Rodmersham SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Outstanding

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

Healthcare
16
A&E departmentsMedway Maritime Hospital9.4 mi
Maidstone Hospital11.3 mi
Estuary View Medical Centre11.5 mi
Hospital waitsKent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust0.7 mi
Routine referral (median)5 wks
Treated within 18 weeks99.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs99.1%
Nearest GP surgeryThe Medic Care Surgery1.2 mi
GP capacity3,208 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
99
Full fibre (FTTP)76%
available across Swale
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
100%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
100%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 16 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
74
Employment rate60.3%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed60.3%Unemployed2%Retired27.2%Student2.7%Other inactive7.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial43.8%Skilled & technical38.5%Routine & elementary17.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications15.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16.8%Level 3 (A levels)18.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)31.2%Apprenticeship5.8%Other (incl. vocational)2.7%
Home ownership74.6%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
40
Council tax Swale · 2026-27
A £1,604
B £1,871
C £2,139
D £2,406
E £2,941
F £3,475
G £4,010
H £4,812
Energy South East England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band E
Water Southern Water
Average bill regional £683/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
18
Sittingbourne 1.7 mi
Teynham 3 mi
Kemsley 3 mi
J5 M2 3.3 mi
J5 M2 3.8 mi
J6 M2 6.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
18
Pubs & Bars Some 1
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness Some 1

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Highsted 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

Broadoak 49 0.8 mi away ⇄
Borden 53 1.9 mi away ⇄
Sittingbourne 57 1.9 mi away ⇄
Lynsted 45 2.0 mi away ⇄
Bredgar 43 2.0 mi away ⇄
Teynham 33 2.7 mi away ⇄
Iwade 53 4.1 mi away ⇄
Eastling 35 4.2 mi away ⇄
Newington 43 4.2 mi away ⇄
Hartlip 42 4.9 mi away ⇄
Lower Halstow 39 4.9 mi away ⇄
Lenham and Harrietsham 37 5.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Highsted a nice place to live?

Highsted has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Highsted is 49/100, 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 Highsted?

Highsted is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 93/100. There were 51 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Highsted?

Among the top-rated schools in Highsted are Rodmersham School and Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Highsted in total.

Highsted in context

See the best places to live in Kent, ranked

Postcode districts in Highsted

ME9 40 ⇄

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