Chelmsford
Chelmsford is a district council in Essex, in the East of England. All 24 figures Groundsense publishes are available here. Figures fetched 3 October 2026.
Pupils in Chelmsford average an Attainment 8 score of 51.4 at sixteen, the highest of the 12 districts in Essex. Anxiety averages 2.8 out of 10, the lowest of any district in Essex. Only 14.9% of residents live within 1km of a station, the lowest share of the councils it borders. Pubs, bars and clubs are down 14.3% since 2021. The average home costs £383k, down 1.2% in the year to June 2026.
Furthest from the middle
- Attainment 8 at sixteen, average score 51.4 Higher than 89% of the 296 councils in England it is published for. The highest of the 12 districts in Essex. 7th highest of the 45 councils in the East of England.
- Anxiety, mean out of 10 2.8 Lower than 87% of the 347 councils in the UK it is published for. The lowest of the 10 districts in Essex. Joint 5th lowest of the 43 councils in the East of England.
- Council tax, band D £2,300 Lower than 81% of the 296 councils in England it is published for. 10th lowest of the 45 councils in the East of England.
Each line runs from the council with the lowest figure to the one with the highest. The dot is Chelmsford and the tick is the council in the middle.
Cost of living
Lower than 81% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.
10th lowest of the 45 councils in the East of England.
MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026-27, Table 9 · 2026-27 · How this is measured
Housing
Higher than 77% of the 360 councils in the UK it is published for.
Down 1.2% since June 2025
UK House Price Index · June 2026 · How this is measured
Higher than 75% of the 316 councils in England and Wales it is published for.
Up 2.3% since August 2025
ONS Price Index of Private Rents · August 2026 · How this is measured
Higher than 65% of the 348 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.
UK House Price Index average price (June 2026) over ASHE median gross annual pay, full time workers (2025) · June 2026 prices, 2025 pay · How this is measured
Higher than 65% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for.
ONS, Energy efficiency of housing, median score by local authority, from MHCLG certificates · to March 2025 · How this is measured
Transport
Lower than 67% of the 329 councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is published for.
Census 2021: ONS TS045 for England and Wales, NISRA for Northern Ireland · 2021 · How this is measured
Lower than 76% of the 350 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.
3rd lowest of the 12 districts in Essex.
DfT NaPTAN active stations, read at every census area · October 2026 · How this is measured
Amenities
Higher than 60% of the 358 councils in the UK it is published for.
Food Standards Agency register of food businesses, read at every census area · October 2026 · How this is measured
Lower than 59% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for.
NHS organisation register, dispensing contractors, read at every census area · October 2026 · How this is measured
Higher than 54% of the 359 councils in the UK it is published for.
Ofcom Connected Nations 2025, fixed broadband residential coverage by local authority · July 2025 · How this is measured
Education
Higher than 67% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.
Down 3 points since 2018/19
DfE, Key stage 2 attainment by pupil residency · 2025/26 · How this is measured
Higher than 89% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.
The highest of the 12 districts in Essex.
7th highest of the 45 councils in the East of England.
DfE, Key stage 4 performance, local authority district data by pupil residency · 2024/25 · How this is measured
Health
Higher than 70% of the 296 councils in England it is published for.
NHS England, General Practice Workforce, practice level, August 2026 · August 2026 · How this is measured
Lower than 68% of the 293 councils in England it is published for.
Published for Essex as a whole, so every district in it shows this figure.
Joint 7th highest of the 45 councils in the East of England.
CQC Syndication API, GP practices (inspection category P2) · October 2026 · How this is measured
Safety
Lower than 51% of the 305 councils in England and Wales it is published for.
Down 14.9% since 2022-23
Home Office recorded crime by community safety partnership, over ONS population estimates for June 2025 · 2025-26 · How this is measured
Higher than 54% of the 305 councils in England and Wales it is published for.
Home Office recorded crime by community safety partnership, over Census 2021 household counts · 2025-26 · How this is measured
Higher than 58% of the 350 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.
Published for Essex as a whole, so every district in it shows this figure.
DfT RAS0403, adjusted casualties by highway authority, 2023 to 2025, over ONS population estimates for June 2025 · 2023 to 2025 · How this is measured
Community
Lower than 61% of the 318 councils in England and Wales it is published for.
2nd lowest of the 12 districts in Essex.
ONS Census 2021, TS019 Migrant indicator · 2021 · How this is measured
Higher than 49% of the 361 councils in the UK it is published for.
Down 14.3% since 2021
ONS UK Business Counts, SIC 56301 and 56302, over ONS population estimates for June 2025 · 2026 · How this is measured
Wellbeing
Higher than 62% of the 347 councils in the UK it is published for.
ONS, personal wellbeing estimates by local authority · 2022-23 · How this is measured
Lower than 87% of the 347 councils in the UK it is published for.
The lowest of the 10 districts in Essex.
Joint 5th lowest of the 43 councils in the East of England.
ONS, personal wellbeing estimates by local authority · 2022-23 · How this is measured
Higher than 55% of the 359 councils in the UK it is published for.
Published for Essex as a whole, so every district in it shows this figure.
Down 3.1 years since 2011 to 2013
ONS, Healthy life expectancy, UK · 2022 to 2024 · How this is measured
Environment
Higher than 72% of the 343 councils in England, Scotland and Wales it is published for.
ONS, Access to public parks and playing fields, from OS Open Greenspace · April 2020 · How this is measured
Higher than 63% of the 361 councils in the UK it is published for.
Down 34.1% since 2019
Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, background NO2 on the 1km grid, read at every census area · 2024 · How this is measured
Next door, side by side
Chelmsford shares a boundary with Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Epping Forest, Maldon, Rochford and Uttlesford. Lowest first.
- Average monthly rent, two bedrooms
- Maldon£1,033
- Braintree£1,099
- Uttlesford£1,142
- Rochford£1,169
- Basildon£1,269
- Chelmsford£1,291
- Brentwood£1,399
- Epping Forest£1,584
- Average house price, all homes
- Braintree£331k
- Basildon£360k
- Chelmsford£383k
- Maldon£384k
- Rochford£416k
- Uttlesford£483k
- Brentwood£514k
- Epping Forest£537k
- Council tax, band D
- Brentwood£2,258
- Epping Forest£2,277
- Braintree£2,280
- Chelmsford£2,300
- Basildon£2,327
- Maldon£2,328
- Uttlesford£2,334
- Rochford£2,363
- Recorded crime per 1,000 residents
- Rochford43.0
- Maldon44.1
- Uttlesford50.3
- Braintree52.6
- Epping Forest62.9
- Brentwood63.4
- Chelmsford69.8
- Basildon84.9
- Patients per fully qualified GP
- Rochford2,098
- Uttlesford2,127
- Epping Forest2,329
- Chelmsford2,378
- Brentwood2,423
- Braintree2,576
- Basildon2,620
- Maldon2,811
- Eleven year olds at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths
- Maldon61%
- Braintree62%
- Chelmsford65%
- Basildon65%
- Epping Forest66%
- Uttlesford68%
- Rochford69%
- Brentwood73%
- Nitrogen dioxide where people live, annual mean
- Uttlesford6.9 µg/m³
- Braintree7.4 µg/m³
- Maldon7.5 µg/m³
- Chelmsford9.1 µg/m³
- Rochford9.6 µg/m³
- Brentwood10.2 µg/m³
- Basildon11.4 µg/m³
- Epping Forest11.6 µg/m³
- Residents within 1km of a train, Underground or tram station
- Chelmsford14.9%
- Uttlesford15.6%
- Maldon17.8%
- Braintree26.6%
- Basildon31.5%
- Brentwood35.7%
- Rochford38.7%
- Epping Forest41.6%
What changed
- Average house price, change over a year, June 2025 to June 2026Down 1.2% since June 2025
- Two bedroom rent, change over a year, August 2025 to August 2026Up 2.3% since August 2025
- Recorded crime, change in the count, 2022-23 to 2025-26Down 14.9% since 2022-23
- Healthy life expectancy for women, change, between 2011 to 2013 and 2022 to 2024Down 3.1 years since 2011 to 2013
- Pubs, bars and licensed clubs, change in the count, 2021 to 2026Down 14.3% since 2021
- Eleven year olds at the expected standard, change, 2018/19 to 2025/26Down 3 points since 2018/19
- Nitrogen dioxide where people live, change, 2019 to 2024Down 34.1% since 2019
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