Birchfields, Chatham, ME5 8AE

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding ME5 8AE, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 52.3% of residents being female. Several factors can contribute to this. Women generally live longer than men, resulting in a higher proportion of women in neighborhoods with significant elderly populations. Typically, as people grow older, they tend to relocate from city center addresses to suburban areas, smaller towns, and rural locations. Consequently, these areas often have a higher number of females. A higher female population can also be found in areas with industries that employ more women, such as healthcare, education, and retail.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	51.5%	52.3%	0.8%	51.0%	1.3%
Male	48.5%	47.7%	-0.8%	49.0%	-1.3%

Partnership Status

Across the UK, the average relationship status breakdown is roughly 44% married, 38% single, 9% divorced, 6% widowed, and 2% separated.

In the immediate vicinity of ME5 8AE there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 54.5% of the resident population. In contrast, the average marriage rate across the census is about 44%.

Areas with a high percentage of married residents are typically suburban neighborhoods, towns with good schools and family-friendly amenities, and regions with affordable, spacious housing options. Additionally, such areas can be popular among retirees.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	34.1%	31.9%	-2.2%	37.9%	-6.0%
Married: Opposite sex	49.5%	54.5%	5.0%	44.2%	10.3%
Separated	4.9%	1.9%	-3.0%	2.2%	-0.3%
Divorced	5.6%	6.6%	1.0%	9.1%	-2.5%
Widowed	5.9%	5.1%	-0.8%	6.1%	-1.0%

Health

Across the UK, the average 48.4% rated their health as Very Good, 33.6% as Good, 12.7% as Fair, 4% as Bad, and 1.2% as Very Bad.

Population age significantly impacts residents' health. Additionally, socioeconomic status plays a crucial role: higher income levels and lower poverty rates are linked to better health outcomes. Affluent areas benefit from higher living standards, access to private healthcare, and healthier lifestyle choices.

This area has a high percentage of residents reporting their health as Good or Very Good (87.1%) compared to the average (82%). This typically indicates either a younger population or more affluent area.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Very good health	54.4%	53.5%	-0.9%	48.4%	5.1%
Good health	31.3%	33.6%	2.3%	33.6%	0.0%
Fair health	10.8%	8.7%	-2.1%	12.7%	-4.0%
Bad health	3.2%	4.2%	1.0%	4.0%	0.2%
Very bad health	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	1.2%	-1.2%

Education and Qualifications

During the 2021 census, the educational qualifications of residents across the UK were as follows: 18.2% had no qualifications, 9.6% had 1-4 GCSEs, 13.4% had 5 or more GCSEs and 1-2 A/AS Levels, 16.9% had 2 or more A Levels, 33.8% held a degree (or equivalent), and 5.4% had completed an apprenticeship.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	15.3%	11.2%	-4.1%	18.2%	-7.0%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	19.9%	15%	-4.9%	9.6%	5.4%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	21.6%	20%	-1.6%	13.4%	6.6%
Apprenticeship	5.2%	3.8%	-1.4%	5.3%	-1.5%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	10.8%	17.7%	6.9%	16.9%	0.8%
Degree or Similar	22.3%	31.2%	8.9%	33.8%	-2.6%
Other	4.9%	1.2%	-3.7%	2.8%	-1.6%

Culture

Ethnic Group

This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 82.2% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Bangladeshi	0%	1.8%	1.8%	1.1%	0.7%
Chinese	1.8%	0%	-1.8%	0.7%	-0.7%
Indian	1.5%	2.1%	0.6%	3.1%	-1.0%
Pakistani	2.9%	1.8%	-1.1%	2.7%	-0.9%
Other Asian	0.9%	0.9%	0.0%	1.6%	-0.7%
Black African	1.8%	6.6%	4.8%	2.5%	4.1%
Black Caribbean	0%	0.3%	0.3%	1.0%	-0.7%
Other Black	0%	1.5%	1.5%	0.5%	1.0%
Mixed White and Asian	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.8%	-0.5%
Mixed White and African	0.3%	0.9%	0.6%	0.4%	0.5%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0%	1.2%	1.2%	0.9%	0.3%
White	90.9%	82.2%	-8.7%	81.4%	0.8%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0%	0.3%	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%

Country of Birth

In this area, 89.4% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is similar to the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	93%	89.4%	-3.6%	83.2%	6.2%
European Union	0.9%	2.1%	1.2%	6.1%	-4.0%
Africa	2.3%	4.2%	1.9%	2.7%	1.5%
Middle East and Asia	3.8%	3.6%	-0.2%	5.6%	-2.0%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0%	0.6%	0.6%	1.3%	-0.7%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	92.7%	89.4%	-3.3%	83.2%	6.2%
10+ Years	0%	8.5%	8.5%	9.8%	-1.3%
5-10 Years	0%	0.6%	0.6%	2.9%	-2.3%
2-5 Years	1.2%	0.9%	-0.3%	2.2%	-1.3%
Less than 2 years	6.1%	0.6%	-5.5%	1.9%	-1.3%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	90%	76.7%	13.3%
Ireland	0.3%	0.6%	-0.3%
Spain	0.3%	0.4%	-0.1%
Poland	0.9%	1.3%	-0.4%
Romania	0.3%	0.9%	-0.6%
Other EU countries	0.6%	1.5%	-0.9%
Central and Western Africa	0.6%	0.3%	0.3%
Southern Asia	0.3%	1.2%	-0.9%
South-East Asia	0.3%	0.2%	0.1%
No passport held	6.4%	13.5%	-7.1%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	43.7%	37.2%	6.5%
Christian	43.7%	46.2%	-2.5%
Buddhist	0.3%	0.5%	-0.2%
Hindu	1.8%	1.7%	0.1%
Muslim	3%	6.5%	-3.5%
Other religion	0.6%	0.6%	0.0%
Not answered	6.9%	6.0%	0.9%

Safety

Is Birchfields Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Birchfields was 70.0 per 1,000 residents, which is 17.0% lower than the Fort Horsted average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

Birchfields has the 17th highest crime rate of 60 local areas in Fort Horsted and the 364th highest crime rate of 820 local areas in Medway .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 17.5 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has risen by about 10.8%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a slightly higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 62% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£48,300

Income Rank
7/10

Household Income in ME5 8AE, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 3/10 (low )
Indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) is used to classify the relative deprivation (a measure of poverty) of the area. It considers the following domains:
Income Deprivation Domain - 4/10 (below average )
The Income Deprivation Domain measures the percentage of people in the population who are experiencing poverty due to having a low income. It includes both those who are unemployed and those who are employed but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Employment Deprivation Domain - 3/10 (low )
The Employment Deprivation Domain measures the proportion of the working-age population in an area involuntarily excluded from the labour market. This includes people who would like to work but are unable to do so due to unemployment, sickness or disability, or caring responsibilities.
Education, Skills and Training Domain - 6/10 (average )
The Education, Skills, and Training Deprivation Domain measures the lack of education and skills in a local area. It has two parts: one for children and young people, and one for adults. The part for children and young people looks at their school achievements ('flow'), while the part for adults looks at the number of adults without qualifications ('stock').
Health Deprivation and Disability Domain - 4/10 (below average )
The Health Deprivation and Disability Domain measures the risk of early death and poor quality of life due to bad physical or mental health. It looks at illness, disability, and early death, but not at behaviors or environments that might affect future health.
Crime Domain - 6/10 (average )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 4/10 (below average )
The Barriers to Housing and Services Domain measures how easy or hard it is to access housing and local services. It has two parts: one looks at how close local services are, and the other looks at issues like how affordable housing is.
Living Environment Deprivation Domain - 4/10 (below average )
The Living Environment Deprivation Domain measures the quality of the local environment. It has two parts: the "indoors" part looks at housing quality, and the "outdoors" part looks at air quality and road traffic accidents.
Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) - 5/10 (average )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) measures how many children aged 0 to 15 live in low-income families. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low incomes. This includes both those who are unemployed and those who work but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) - 3/10 (low )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) measures the percentage of people aged 60 or older who have low income. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low income, including both unemployed people and those with low-paying jobs (and who satisfy the respective means tests).

Property Prices

Average property prices on Birchfields are based on 56 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for Medway.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Birchfields, Chatham, ME5 8AE

Estimated Average Property Prices for ME5 8AE

Average Price
£369,635

Semi-Detached
£362,604

Terraced
£376,666

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Birchfields

Average Price
£281,213

Semi-Detached
£365,535

Terraced
£355,207

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
£143,137

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on BirchfieldsStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
12 Birchfields, Chatham, Medway Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£347,000	2023-06-21	£364,042
1B Birchfields, Chatham, Medway Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£360,000	2022-12-22	£362,892
1A Birchfields, Chatham, Medway Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£305,000	2020-01-28	£392,087
1B Birchfields, Chatham, Medway Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£162,500	2012-07-27	£337,785
2 Birchfields, Chatham, Medway Terraced, an established residential building	£205,000	2011-05-04	£423,130

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for ME5 8AE

Employment

ME5 8AE area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 1% residents of this area were unemployed, while the average in the UK was 4.83%. A low level of unemployment in an area indicates a strong job market, where most people who are seeking work can find employment. This generally reflects a healthy economy in the area.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	104
Retired	55
Part-Time Employee	36
Self-Employed	25
Student (economically inactive)	12
Looking after home or family	9
Long-Term Sick or disabled	9
Unemployed	3
Other	1
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	1

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	39
Construction	23
Human health and social work activities	22
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	18
Education	17
Manufacturing	12
Accommodation and food service activities	10
Transport and storage	9
Financial and insurance activities	7
Professional, scientific and technical activities	7
Administrative and support service activities	6
Other	5
Real estate activities	2
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1
Information and communication	1

Schools

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Walderslade Primary School Dargets Road , Walderslade ME5 8BJ	3out of 4	149 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Oaklands School Weedswood Road , Walderslade ME5 0QS	- not rated	631 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School Bleakwood Road , ME5 0NF	4out of 4	671 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School
Lordswood School Lordswood Lane , ME5 8NN	3out of 4	876 yd	Academy sponsor led	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Tunbury Primary School Tunbury Avenue , Walderslade ME5 9HY	3out of 4	1,128 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Greenacre Academy 157 Walderslade Road , Walderslade ME5 0LP	3out of 4	962 yd	Academy converter	No	Boys	More About School
Walderslade Girls' School Bradfields Avenue , Walderslade ME5 0LE	2out of 4	1,070 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Girls	More About School
Holcombe Grammar School Holcombe , Maidstone Road ME4 6JB	3out of 4	2,938 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Boys	More About School
The Thomas Aveling School Arethusa Road , ME1 2UW	3out of 4	3,192 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
The Victory Academy Magpie Hall Road , ME4 5JB	3out of 4	3,271 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bradfields Academy Churchill Avenue , ME5 0LB	4out of 4	1,255 yd	Academy special converter	No	Mixed	More About School
INSPIRE Free Special School Churchill Avenue , ME5 0LB	3out of 4	1,255 yd	Free schools special	No	Mixed	More About School
The Rowans Silverbank , Churchill Avenue ME5 0LB	4out of 4	1,615 yd	Academy alternative provision converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Medway Secure Training Centre Sir Evelyn Road , ME1 3YB	- not rated	3,326 yd	Secure units	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Blue Skies School 126 Maidstone Road , ME4 6DQ	- not rated	3,865 yd	Other independent special school	No	Mixed	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
363 Coffee Lounge	363-367 Walderslade Road, Walderslade	225 yd
Walderslade Village Cafe	359 Walderslade Road, Walderslade	226 yd
Bliss Tea Rooms	383A Walderslade Road, Walderslade	231 yd
Taj Cuisine	1 Sherwood House, Walderslade Road	360 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
The Oak	Sherwood Oak Public House, Sherwood Oak		400 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Domino's Pizza	371 - 373 Walderslade Road, Walderslade	225 yd
Golden Dragon	383 Walderslade Road, Walderslade	235 yd
Chan's Chinese Takeaway	4 Sherwood House, Walderslade Road	354 yd
Moby Dicks	5 Sherwood House, Walderslade Road	354 yd
OK Kebab	1A Sherwood House, Walderslade Road	360 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Morrisons	Princes Avenue, Walderslade		210 yd
Co-Op	Invicta Co Operative Society Ltd, Walderslade Road		321 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Oaklands Junior School WEEDS WOOD ROAD	grass pitches	658 yd
Lordswood School LORDS WOOD LANE	grass pitches	732 yd
Greenacre Academy WALDERSLADE ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches	1,042 yd

Broadband

Technology Aviability

Percentage of premises that have Superfast Broadband (30Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (100Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	100.0%

Speed Aviability

Percentage of premises unable to receive 2Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 5Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 10Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 30Mbit/s	0.0%

Download Speed

Median download speed	50.8 Mbit/s
Average download speed	101.6 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	350 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	350 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	10.6 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	12.5 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbit/s

Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.

Overview of ME5 8AE