Town Pop. 7,094

Living in Tenterden: Liveability Score 43/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Tenterden is 43/100, built from 9 categories. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 65/100 versus a median of 88/100. Tenterden places 4th of 12 in the TN17 postcode district.

Its lifestyle score runs 9 points above the TN17 district's 23/100. Transport (23), schools (24) and healthcare (26) all fall below 30/100. On the national picture that lands Tenterden in the middle half of all the places we score. Wider context for the surrounding area: TN17 postcode district.

43
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.

Tenterden scores 43 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Tenterden.
Or compare:
TN17 1AA TN17 2AA TN17 3AD TN17 4AA TN17 9AN TN17 TN30

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
65
106.3 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 274 crimes
↑ 16% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 148 crimes
↑ 37% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 96 crimes
↑ 99% above national average
Other theft 77 crimes
↑ 76% above national average
Shoplifting 39 crimes
↓ 29% below national average
other 120 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 57 crimes
  2. 2 Greenside 47 crimes
  3. 3 Shopping Area 45 crimes

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

Environment
70
Air Quality NO₂ 5.8 · PM2.5 6.5 · PM10 10.6 µg/m³
74
Green Space 59
Parks Ample 5
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Adequate 2
Tennis Courts Adequate 4
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
24
4 schools in area · 5 within 4km
2Good2Ungraded
  • Homewood School and Sixth Form CentreSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Tenterden Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded
  • Tenterden Church of England Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

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

Healthcare
26
A&E departmentsWilliam Harvey Hospital9.8 mi
WIlliam Harvey Hospital9.9 mi
Maidstone Hospital15.3 mi
Hospital waitsEast Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust0.4 mi
Routine referral (median)15 wks
Treated within 18 weeks56.5%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.3%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Good'
GP capacity1,417 patients per GP
3dentists2pharmacies

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
52
Full fibre (FTTP)68.5%
available across Ashford
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
83.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
83.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.3%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 238 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
56
Employment rate48.4%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed48.4%Unemployed2.4%Retired36.7%Student2.7%Other inactive9.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40%Skilled & technical37.5%Routine & elementary22.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications18.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.5%Level 3 (A levels)15.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.2%Apprenticeship6%Other (incl. vocational)3.4%
Home ownership74.1%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
45
Council tax Ashford · 2026-27
A £1,607
B £1,874
C £2,142
D £2,410
E £2,946
F £3,481
G £4,017
H £4,820
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 D
Water Southern Water
Average bill regional £683/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
23
Appledore 6.2 mi
Pluckley 6.2 mi
Headcorn 6.9 mi
J9 M20 9.7 mi
J9 M20 9.8 mi
J10 M20 10.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
32
Pubs & Bars Adequate 5
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 19
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 6
Retail Shopping Ample 53
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness Ample 14

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House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £425,000 77
Detached £550,000 36
Semi-detached £405,000 21
Terraced £332,500 16
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£251k £396k £545k £690k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Nearby places

London Beach 34 1.7 mi away ⇄
High Halden 33 2.2 mi away ⇄
Woolpack Corner 34 2.4 mi away ⇄
Rolvenden 39 3.0 mi away ⇄
Rolvenden Layne 40 3.1 mi away ⇄
East End 38 3.3 mi away ⇄
Woodchurch 40 3.6 mi away ⇄
Biddenden 40 3.7 mi away ⇄
Wittersham 37 4.2 mi away ⇄
Bethersden 38 4.6 mi away ⇄
Appledore Heath 40 4.6 mi away ⇄
Benenden 41 5.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Tenterden a nice place to live?

Tenterden has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Tenterden is 43/100, 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 Tenterden?

Tenterden has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 65/100. There were 754 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Tenterden?

Among the top-rated schools in Tenterden are Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre and Tenterden Infant School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 4 rated schools in Tenterden in total.

What are house prices like in Tenterden?

The current median house price in Tenterden is £425,000, around 49% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £550,000, semi-detached £405,000, terraced £332,500. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 3%. There were 77 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Tenterden in context

See the best places to live in Kent, ranked

Postcode districts in Tenterden

TN17 39 ⇄
TN30 40 ⇄

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