Wealden: population and statistics
Wealden has a population of 168,308 (2025) across 835.0 km², or 202 people per km². It ranks 145 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +8.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 168,308 residents
- 835.0 km²
- 202 people/km²
Wealden in numbers
Population of Wealden over time
Wealden had 155,361 residents in 2015 and 168,308 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 158,291 |
| 2021 | 160,711 |
| 2022 | 162,974 |
| 2023 | 164,834 |
| 2024 | 166,776 |
| 2025 | 168,308 |
All indicators for Wealden
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 | Wealden | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 27.6% | 20.2% | 20.4% | ranked 31 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 16.3% | 18.1% | 17.4% | ranked 253 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Wealden | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 76,460 dwellings | 4,201,530 | 27,429,300 | ranked 129 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 28.3% | 28.0% | 31.6% | ranked 194 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 20.1% | 19.8% | 18.1% | ranked 115 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 68,266 households | 72,553 | 61,440 | ranked 128 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 87.2% | 77.8% | 84.7% | ranked 125 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 11.5% | 21.5% | 14.8% | ranked 211 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 78.1% | 67.0% | 67.3% | ranked 7 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 13.5% | 19.2% | 17.6% | ranked 291 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 8.4% | 13.7% | 14.3% | ranked 307 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £391,211 | £392,981 | £272,474 | ranked 80 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −0.8% | 0.5% | 2.2% | ranked 285 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Wealden | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.0% | 1.3% | 1.2% | ranked 204 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 65.8% | 74.6% | 76.7% | ranked 267 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 7.0% | 9.2% | 7.8% | ranked 186 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 11.1% | 3.2% | 0.9% | ranked 40 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Wealden | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 9,540 sites | 472,260 | 3,232,440 | ranked 102 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 56.7 per 1,000 | 48.7 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 54 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 8,725 businesses | 412,075 | 2,786,975 | ranked 91 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £43,589 | £41,780 | £38,490 | ranked 75 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Wealden | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 80.5% | 79.1% | 76.3% | ranked 65 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 2.4% | 3.1% | 3.2% | ranked 278 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Wealden | South East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 10.6% | 16.8% | 18.5% | ranked 309 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 64 local authorities in South East, Wealden ranks 14 by population.
Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership): 78.1% in Wealden, compared with an average of 67.0% in South East and 62.3% across the UK.
Households without a car or van: 10.6% in Wealden, compared with an average of 16.8% in South East and 23.5% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Construction, with 17.0% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership)”: higher than in 98% of local authorities.
- “Households without a car or van”: lower than in 97% of local authorities.
- “Share of residents aged 65 and over”: higher than in 92% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 116,945 football pitches.
- The nearest local authority is Tunbridge Wells, 14.8 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Brighton and Hove (284,170 residents), 32 km away.
Business sectors: Wealden
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Construction17.0% ×1.4
- Professional, scientific and technical15.0% ×1.1
- Wholesale and retail trade14.7% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services8.3% ×1.0
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing6.9% ×1.5
- Information and communication6.2% ×1.0
- Accommodation and food services5.1% ×0.7
- Manufacturing4.9% ×1.1
Where is Wealden?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Wealden?
Wealden has 168,308 residents (2025), ranking 145 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Wealden?
Wealden covers 835.0 km², with a density of 202 people per km².
Is the population of Wealden growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Wealden went from 155,361 to 168,308, a change of +8.3%.
Where is Wealden?
Wealden is in South East (region). Latitude 50.999, longitude 0.212.
Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership): what is the figure for Wealden?
In Wealden, “Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership)” stands at 78.1% (2021), ranking 7 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 67.3%.
Households without a car or van: what is the figure for Wealden?
In Wealden, “Households without a car or van” stands at 10.6% (2021), ranking 309 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 18.5%.
Which local authorities border Wealden?
The nearest to Wealden are Tunbridge Wells (15 km), Lewes (20 km), Rother (23 km), Mid Sussex (25 km), Eastbourne (26 km).