Challenger Close, Rainham, Gillingham, ME8 8FH

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. The local area around ME8 8FH is generally consistent with those figures, having a male population of 48.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	52.5%	51.6%	-0.9%	51.0%	0.6%
Male	47.5%	48.4%	0.9%	49.0%	-0.6%

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 ME8 8FH there is a very large concentration of residents that are married - 61.8% 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	26.5%	26.5%	0.0%	37.9%	-11.4%
Married: Opposite sex	56.2%	61.8%	5.6%	44.2%	17.6%
Married: Same sex	0.8%	0.6%	-0.2%	0.3%	0.3%
Separated	1.2%	1.2%	0.0%	2.2%	-1.0%
Divorced	8.5%	5.2%	-3.3%	9.1%	-3.9%
Widowed	6.9%	4.6%	-2.3%	6.1%	-1.5%

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 (86.9%) 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	48.8%	47.9%	-0.9%	48.4%	-0.5%
Good health	35%	39%	4.0%	33.6%	5.4%
Fair health	13.2%	9.2%	-4.0%	12.7%	-3.5%
Bad health	2.8%	2.4%	-0.4%	4.0%	-1.6%
Very bad health	0.3%	1.5%	1.2%	1.2%	0.3%

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.

This area stands out for its low percentage of residents with higher education degree. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 20.3%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	15.4%	17.2%	1.8%	18.2%	-1.0%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	16.5%	14.2%	-2.3%	9.6%	4.6%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	19.2%	15.7%	-3.5%	13.4%	2.3%
Apprenticeship	5.4%	6.2%	0.8%	5.3%	0.9%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	16.2%	23.7%	7.5%	16.9%	6.8%
Degree or Similar	24.6%	20.3%	-4.3%	33.8%	-13.5%
Other	2.7%	2.8%	0.1%	2.8%	0.0%

Culture

Ethnic Group

In this area, the population is predominantly white, with 92.3% identifying as such, significantly higher than the UK average of 81.4%. This indicates a lower level of ethnic diversity compared to the broader UK population.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Chinese	0%	1%	1.0%	0.7%	0.3%
Indian	0.3%	1.9%	1.6%	3.1%	-1.2%
Pakistani	0.6%	0%	-0.6%	2.7%	-2.7%
Other Asian	0.9%	0.5%	-0.4%	1.6%	-1.1%
Black Caribbean	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	1.0%	-1.0%
Other Black	0.3%	0%	-0.3%	0.5%	-0.5%
Mixed White and Asian	0.3%	0.5%	0.2%	0.8%	-0.3%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.6%	1%	0.4%	0.9%	0.1%
Mixed Other	0%	0.2%	0.2%	0.8%	-0.6%
White	94.8%	92.3%	-2.5%	81.4%	10.9%
Roma	0%	0.2%	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%
Arab	1.5%	0.2%	-1.3%	0.6%	-0.4%
Other	0.3%	2.2%	1.9%	1.6%	0.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 91.3% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is higher than the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	92%	91.3%	-0.7%	83.2%	8.1%
European Union	1.8%	3.6%	1.8%	6.1%	-2.5%
Rest of Europe	1.2%	1.5%	0.3%	0.8%	0.7%
Africa	0.9%	0%	-0.9%	2.7%	-2.7%
Middle East and Asia	3.4%	3.6%	0.2%	5.6%	-2.0%
The Americas and the Caribbean	0.6%	0%	-0.6%	1.3%	-1.3%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	91.7%	91.3%	-0.4%	83.2%	8.1%
10+ Years	0.6%	5.1%	4.5%	9.8%	-4.7%
5-10 Years	0.6%	2.7%	2.1%	2.9%	-0.2%
2-5 Years	2.8%	0%	-2.8%	2.2%	-2.2%
Less than 2 years	4.3%	1%	-3.3%	1.9%	-0.9%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	83.1%	76.7%	6.4%
Ireland	1.5%	0.6%	0.9%
Germany	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%
Portugal	1%	0.5%	0.5%
Poland	0.7%	1.3%	-0.6%
Other EU countries	1%	1.5%	-0.5%
Turkey	0.7%	0.1%	0.6%
Southern Asia	0.7%	1.2%	-0.5%
South-East Asia	0.2%	0.2%	0.0%
No passport held	10.9%	13.5%	-2.6%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	47.7%	37.2%	10.5%
Christian	42.1%	46.2%	-4.1%
Buddhist	1.2%	0.5%	0.7%
Sikh	2.9%	0.9%	2.0%
Other religion	1.2%	0.6%	0.6%
Not answered	4.8%	6.0%	-1.2%

Safety

Is Challenger Close Street dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Challenger Close was 40.2 per 1,000 residents, which is 49.1% lower than the Rainham North average. The most reported crime type was Violence and sexual offences.

Challenger Close has the 35th lowest crime rate of 88 local areas in Rainham North and the 262nd lowest crime rate of 820 local areas in Medway .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 13.4 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -40.6%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a higher level of wealth to the average household in England and Wales. 79% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have lower average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£54,600

Income Rank
8/10

Household Income in ME8 8FH, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 4/10 (below average )
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 - 3/10 (low )
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 - 2/10 (very 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 - 9/10 (very high )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 5/10 (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) - 3/10 (low )
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 Challenger Close are based on 4 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 Challenger Close, Rainham, Gillingham, ME8 8FH

Estimated Average Property Prices for ME8 8FH

Average Price
£516,134

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£516,134

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Estimated Average Property Prices for Challenger Close

Average Price
£555,114

Semi-Detached
no sales

Terraced
no sales

Detached
£533,029

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
£621,366

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Challenger CloseStreet

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
1 Challenger Close, Gillingham, Medway Detached, an established residential building	£440,000	2021-02-22	£521,231
5 Challenger Close, Gillingham, Medway Detached, a newly built property	£434,995	2019-05-09	£542,930
1 Challenger Close, Gillingham, Medway Detached, a newly built property	£434,995	2019-01-25	£534,926

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for ME8 8FH

Employment

ME8 8FH area has a low unemployment rate. According to Census 2021, 2% 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	102
Retired	91
Part-Time Employee	52
Self-Employed	31
Looking after home or family	13
Student (economically inactive)	11
Other	10
Long-Term Sick or disabled	6
Unemployed	6
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	1

Employment Industry

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	29
Construction	22
Education	19
Human health and social work activities	18
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	16
Manufacturing	16
Financial and insurance activities	13
Professional, scientific and technical activities	12
Other	8
Accommodation and food service activities	6
Information and communication	6
Transport and storage	6
Administrative and support service activities	5
Real estate activities	2

Schools

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Miers Court Primary School Silverspot Close , ME8 8JR	3out of 4	534 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
St Margaret's Infant School St Margaret's Infant School, Orchard Street , Orchard Street ME8 9AE	3out of 4	714 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School Orchard Street , Rainham ME8 9AE	3out of 4	714 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Riverside Primary School St Edmunds Way , Rainham ME8 8ET	3out of 4	886 yd	Academy converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Parkwood Primary School Deanwood Drive , Rainham ME8 9LP	3out of 4	1,678 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Leigh Academy Rainham Otterham Quay Lane , Rainham	- not rated	643 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School
Rainham School for Girls Derwent Way , Rainham ME8 0BX	3out of 4	1,609 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Girls	More About School
The Howard School Derwent Way , Rainham ME8 0BX	3out of 4	1,645 yd	Academy converter	No	Boys	More About School
Rainham Mark Grammar School Pump Lane , Rainham ME8 7AJ	4out of 4	1,960 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
The Robert Napier School Third Avenue , ME7 2LX	3out of 4	4,516 yd	Academy sponsor led	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Bryony School 157 Marshall Road , Rainham ME8 0AJ	- not rated	2,017 yd	Other independent school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Danecourt School Hotel Road , ME8 6AA	3out of 4	3,525 yd	Academy special converter	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Will Adams Centre Woodlands Road , ME7 2BX	3out of 4	4,221 yd	Pupil referral unit	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
The GFC School Priestfield Stadium , Redfern Avenue ME7 4DD	- not rated	4,901 yd	Other independent 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
Hon's Restaurant	143 High Street, Rainham	508 yd
Darjeeling Heights	Darjeeling Heights, 335 High Street	534 yd
Galata Mezze Restaurant	109 High Street, Rainham	633 yd
Tarana	85 High Street, Rainham	760 yd
The Centre Cafe	35 Rainham Shopping Centre, Rainham	784 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Distance
The Rose Inn	The Rose Inn, 249 High Street	401 yd
The Prince Of Ales	121 High Street, Rainham	563 yd
White Horse	White Horse PH, White Horse	709 yd
Cricketers	The Cricketers Inn, 88 High Street	720 yd
The Greedy Banker	89-93 High Street, Rainham	736 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Peking Chef	177 High Street, Rainham	405 yd
Tarka Baaz	175 High Street, Rainham	406 yd
Charcoal Grill	146 High Street, Rainham	467 yd
Tandoori Parlour & The Grill Guys	134 High Street, Rainham	490 yd
Asham Indian	109A High Street, Rainham	655 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Miers Court Primary School SILVERSPOT CLOSE	grass pitches	607 yd
Reynolds Fitness Spa Rainham HIGH STREET	health and fitness suite	619 yd
Rainham Recreation Ground Station Road	grass pitches	838 yd
St Margaret'S C Of E Junior School ORCHARD STREET	grass pitches, swimming pool	859 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%

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