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Swale

Interactive map displaying Swale

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About

Swale is a district in Kent, in South East England, covering the tidal channel called the Swale and the Isle of Sheppey. Its boundary runs from the North Kent coast inland across low-lying farmland and marshes. Principal settlements include Sittingbourne, Faversham and Sheerness; the Swale channel separates the mainland from the Isle of Sheppey and supports mudflats and salt marshes designated for wildlife. Parts of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty meet reclaimed marshland along the estuary, and reserves such as Oare Marshes and Elmley support migratory waders and wildfowl.

Faversham retains a compact market town core and a creek-side legacy of gunpowder manufacture dating back to Tudor times, with industrial archaeology alongside the Creek. Sittingbourne sits on transport routes into London and hosts manufacturing and engineering. Sheerness occupies the northern tip of Sheppey with a port and seafront. Public footpaths and cycle routes follow the tidal edge, offering views across the Swale channel to creeks, mudflats and fishing grounds that have shaped local communities for centuries.

Area overview

On average Swale has high deprivation and high crime levels, with around 77 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, in line with the South East average of 84 per 1,000. Approximately 12.4% of homes in this area are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. The average income per household in Swale is £55,221 per year. The median sale price in Swale is £305,000 (around £337 per square foot), with typical sale prices between £245,000 and £380,000. There are 59 schools in Swale: 49 primary (8 Outstanding and 29 Good) and 10 secondary (0 Outstanding and 5 Good). Swale is home to around 151,677 people, with a population density of about 406.2 per km².

Crime rate
7/10
Crimes per 1k residents
77
Deprivation level
7/10
Income level
4/10
Social housing
12.4%
Connectivity
N/A

Area Profile

Swale Population
151,677
Population density
406.2 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
40.67(+28%)
Anti-social behaviour
22.55(+83%)
Criminal damage and arson
10.79(+67%)
Shoplifting
8.49(+6%)
Other theft
6.07(+8%)
South East average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
134,385
88.6%
Other White
5,999
3.96%
African
2,541
1.68%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller
925
0.61%
Irish
855
0.56%
Total population: 151,677

Economics

Education (age 16+)

Level 4+ (Degree)
28,911
23.7%
No qualifications
26,824
21.99%
Level 3 (A level)
21,027
17.24%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
18,975
15.55%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
15,032
12.32%
Total 16+ residents: 122,000

Housing

Housing tenure

Owns outright
20,788
34.36%
Owns with a mortgage
19,727
32.61%
Private landlord or letting agency
9,851
16.28%
Other social rented
6,716
11.1%
Social rents from council
1,325
2.19%
Total households: 60,495

Property prices in Swale

Median price: £305,000
Price per sq ft: £337
Sales (last 12 months): 1,798
Typical range (middle 50%): £245K – £380K

Based on 1,798 recent sales, the median property price is £305,000 (about £337 per square foot) in Swale area, with individual transactions ranging from £47,500 up to £1,750,000.

Prices by property typelast 12 months

Median sale price, median price per square foot, sales count, and percentile information for each property type in Swale over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian£/sq ft
Detached431£440,000£354
Semi-Detached549£325,000£356
Terraced653£265,000£316
Flats165£174,000£286

10-year price trendmedian sale price in Swale

Sale price

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Swale.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£325,000£138,000£245,000£196,000
2017£351,000£150,500£257,000£210,000
2018£369,250£158,000£258,000£220,000
2019£367,500£160,000£265,000£224,000
2020£387,500£163,000£275,000£230,000
2021£412,248£160,000£295,000£240,000
2022£450,000£172,000£325,000£270,000
2023£450,000£169,000£325,000£265,000
2024£434,998£172,000£317,000£261,500
2025£445,000£171,000£320,000£265,000
2026£427,500£175,000£325,000£265,000
Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in Swale.

Price per sq ft

Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Swale.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£280£239£278£230
2017£292£254£285£254
2018£309£259£296£268
2019£306£272£297£264
2020£324£271£305£275
2021£341£267£325£293
2022£381£289£369£335
2023£377£300£367£323
2024£368£290£354£310
2025£367£295£362£316
2026£348£280£352£317
Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in Swale.

Price distribution by property typelast 12 months

Price distribution by property type for Swale in the last year.

Council Tax Bands

Annual council tax rates for Swale district.

Band A£1,604
Band B£1,871
Band C£2,138
Band D£2,406
Band E£2,940
Band F£3,475
Band G£4,009
Band H£4,811

Council tax bands are based on the value of your property. Most homes fall into bands A to D.

Local government

Members of Parliament for the constituencies covering Swale.

Member of parliament

Helen Whately

Faversham and Mid Kent - Elected 4 Jul 2024

Conservative

Kevin McKenna

Sittingbourne and Sheppey - Elected 4 Jul 2024

Labour Party

Frequently asked questions about Swale

Is Swale safe?

Swale records about 77 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, which is a high crime rate for England: it scores 7 out of 10 on the Area360 crime scale, where 10 is the highest crime level.

Which is the safest ward in Swale?

Among the 24 wards of Swale, East Downs has the lowest crime rate, with about 35 crimes per 1,000 residents per year (the Swale average is 77 per 1,000) based on official Police.uk data.

What is the average house price in Swale?

The median sale price in Swale is £305,000 (about £337 per square foot) based on 1,798 registered sales according to HM Land Registry data.

Are there good schools in Swale?

Swale has 49 primary schools (8 rated Outstanding, 29 Good) and 10 secondary schools (5 Good). Ratings are from the latest Ofsted inspections.

How deprived is Swale?

Swale scores 7 out of 10 on the deprivation scale, where 10 is the most deprived. The typical neighbourhood in Swale sits around rank 13,275 of 32,844 in England on the official Index of Multiple Deprivation (rank 1 is the most deprived).

What is the average household income in Swale?

The average household income in Swale is around £55,221 per year, and 12% of homes are social housing (ONS data).

Who are the MPs for Swale?

Swale spans 2 parliamentary constituencies, represented by Faversham and Mid Kent: Helen Whately (Conservative and Unionist Party) and Sittingbourne and Sheppey: Kevin McKenna (Labour Party).

ME12 4AA

Airfield View

ME10 3AE

Castle Road

ME12 3SX

Lower Road

ME10 2FB

Barge Way

ME10 3DH

Crown Quay Lane

ME10 1AQ

Central Avenue

ME10 3HT

Crown Quay Lane

ME10 3AG

Bonham Drive

ME11 5BD

Gordon Avenue

ME10 1AA

West Street

ME10 1DR

Albany Road

ME10 2BQ

Millen Road

ME10 2FE

Barge Way

ME12 1AD

Broadway

ME9 8DW

Ferry Road

ME13 7EL

Evers Road

ME9 8AA

Ruins Barn Road

ME10 3BG

Castle Road

ME13 7AA

Market Place

ME10 2AB

High Street

ME10 4DE

Avenue Of Remembrance

ME11 5AP

Cullet Drive

ME10 4DS

Bell Road

ME9 9AJ

The Street