Crawley: population and statistics
Crawley has a population of 124,462 (2025) across 45.0 km², or 2,769 people per km². It ranks 237 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +10.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 124,462 residents
- 45.0 km²
- 2,769 people/km²
Crawley in numbers
Population of Crawley over time
Crawley had 112,952 residents in 2015 and 124,462 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 117,793 |
| 2021 | 118,607 |
| 2022 | 120,049 |
| 2023 | 122,643 |
| 2024 | 123,758 |
| 2025 | 124,462 |
All indicators for Crawley
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Crawley | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 13.8% | 20.2% | 20.4% | ranked 325 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 20.6% | 18.1% | 17.4% | ranked 25 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Crawley | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 47,350 dwellings | 4,201,530 | 27,429,300 | ranked 252 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 4.2% | 28.0% | 31.6% | ranked 316 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 15.1% | 19.8% | 18.1% | ranked 223 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 45,502 households | 72,553 | 61,440 | ranked 240 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 74.3% | 77.8% | 84.7% | ranked 255 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 25.7% | 21.5% | 14.8% | ranked 62 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 57.0% | 67.0% | 67.3% | ranked 267 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 19.8% | 19.2% | 17.6% | ranked 103 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 22.9% | 13.7% | 14.3% | ranked 40 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £332,384 | £392,981 | £272,474 | ranked 119 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 2.3% | 0.5% | 2.2% | ranked 173 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Crawley | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.2% | ranked 133 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 79.5% | 74.6% | 76.7% | ranked 98 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 8.9% | 9.2% | 7.8% | ranked 112 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.1% | 3.2% | 0.9% | ranked 246 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Crawley | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 4,690 sites | 472,260 | 3,232,440 | ranked 275 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 37.7 per 1,000 | 48.7 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 267 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 3,575 businesses | 412,075 | 2,786,975 | ranked 303 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £39,237 | £41,780 | £38,490 | ranked 157 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Crawley | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 90.0% | 79.1% | 76.3% | ranked 1 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 4.6% | 3.1% | 3.2% | ranked 57 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Crawley | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 20.6% | 16.8% | 18.5% | ranked 123 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 64 local authorities in South East, Crawley ranks 41 by population.
Employment rate, aged 16-64: 90.0% in Crawley, compared with an average of 79.1% in South East and 75.6% across the UK.
Dwellings built before 1940: 4.2% in Crawley, compared with an average of 28.0% in South East and 34.9% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 18.2% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in South East for “Households in social housing”.
- Number 1 in South East for “Employment rate, aged 16-64”.
- “Employment rate, aged 16-64”: higher than in 100% of local authorities.
- “Dwellings built before 1940”: lower than in 99% of local authorities.
- “Households heated by oil only”: lower than in 97% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,296 football pitches.
- 9.7 times denser than the UK average.
Business sectors: Crawley
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade18.2% ×1.1
- Construction11.8% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services11.2% ×1.4
- Professional, scientific and technical11.1% ×0.8
- Transport and storage10.1% ×2.4
- Accommodation and food services7.5% ×1.1
- Information and communication6.2% ×1.0
- Health and social work5.3% ×0.9
Where is Crawley?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Crawley?
Crawley has 124,462 residents (2025), ranking 237 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Crawley?
Crawley covers 45.0 km², with a density of 2,769 people per km².
Is the population of Crawley growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Crawley went from 112,952 to 124,462, a change of +10.2%.
Where is Crawley?
Crawley is in South East (region). Latitude 51.126, longitude −0.193.
Employment rate, aged 16-64: what is the figure for Crawley?
In Crawley, “Employment rate, aged 16-64” stands at 90.0% (2025-2026), ranking 1 of 347 local authorities; the UK median is 76.3%.
Dwellings built before 1940: what is the figure for Crawley?
In Crawley, “Dwellings built before 1940” stands at 4.2% (2026), ranking 316 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 31.6%.
Which local authorities border Crawley?
The nearest to Crawley are Horsham (11 km), Mid Sussex (12 km), Reigate and Banstead (14 km), Tandridge (20 km), Epsom and Ewell (24 km).