Swale area report

Highlights

Swale is a district in Kent with a population of 151676. The median house price is 295000, with 4270 sales in the past year and prices up 15.4 per cent over five years. Semi-detached homes are most common at 33.7 per cent of stock, followed by terraced at 29.8 per cent. Owner-occupation stands at 67.0 per cent. The area has 14 GP surgeries, 27 dentists and 4 hospitals. Life expectancy is 79.4 years for males and 83.8 years for females. Air quality shows low nitrogen dioxide at 7.8 annual mean and moderate particulate matter at 6.8. Schools include 49 primary and 9 secondary institutions; 20 of 26 rated by Ofsted are good or better. The nearest primary school is Lansdowne Primary School at 2.7 km; the nearest secondary is The Sittingbourne School at 3.2 km. Rail access includes 14 stations; the nearest is Teynham Rail Station at 1.4 km, with a 69 minute commute to London Victoria. Broadband coverage is strong at 66.3 per cent gigabit capable. The council tax for band D is 2356.32 for 2026/27.

Data updated 2026/27 (tax); 2025 (control). Swale, Kent — a free, sourced local-area report from Acreright. Every figure shows its source and date; where the data isn't reliable we say so rather than guess.

Within Kent, Swale ranks 3rd cheapest of 13, 9th safest and 5th most affordable.

What does it cost?

• £295,000 median home price (HM Land Registry Price Paid + UK HPI, Apr 2026)

Sold prices in Swale have risen 11% over the last five years (UK House Price Index).

How safe is it?

• 8.9 recorded crimes per 1,000 people (police.uk, May 2026)

Who lives here?

• 151,677 residents (ONS Census 2021 (Nomis), 2021)

About 45% of neighbourhoods in England are more deprived than Swale (English Indices of Deprivation, decile 5 of 10, national basis).

Schools

• 77% of inspected schools rated Good or Outstanding (Get Information About Schools (GIAS) + Ofsted inspections MI, 2026)

Health

• 79.4 · 83.8 yrs life expectancy (men · women) (NHS ODS register (GP/dentist/pharmacy) + OSM (hospitals) + IoD2025 health domain + OHID Fingertips (outcomes), 2026/2025)

Getting around

• ≈69 min fastest train to London (OpenStreetMap + National Rail timetable (ATOC/RDG, GTFS), 2026)
• 66% of premises can get gigabit broadband (Ofcom Connected Nations 2024, Jul 2024)

Has it been a good investment?

Of homes in Swale that changed hands in the last five years, 13.6% sold for less than the previous owner paid — 3.5 points below South East (17.1%) (nominal, not inflation-adjusted). Across those resales the typical gain was 25.46% over 7.69 years held.

Investment context: a gross rental yield of about 5% (area median rent against the median sold price) — appraise a specific property at /appraisal/swale.

Compare every area in Kent: Kent area guide & rankings.

Nearby areas we cover: Medway, Maidstone, Canterbury.