Postcode district · Gillingham

ME8 area guide

Who lives in ME8, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Medway
Region: South East
Population: 60,950 (2024)

ME8Postcode district · Gillingham

At a glance

What ME8 is like

The ME8 postcode district in Medway covers 1,148 live postcodes and is home to about 60,950 people in 24,172 households. 77.2% of households own their home, 12.6% rent privately and 9.6% are in social housing. The largest age group is 55–59, and 56.4% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is well below the England and Wales average. Homes in ME8 sold for a median of £335,500 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How ME8 compares

Headline figures for ME8, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

6.7/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

5/ 10

Around the middle: 20.1 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£335,500

Median over 626 sales in ME8, −4.1% on the year before.

TransportMore

5.0/ 10

Good: 1 station within a mile, 23 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

95%

Rated good or better across 20 inspected schools in ME8.

Household incomeMore

£58,499

Average annual income before tax, higher than 63% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where ME8 differs most from the national average.

01
An older population
22.4% of residents are 65 or over, against 18.4% across England.
02
Well-rated schoolsPositive
95% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better.
03
Schools are over capacityLook closer
The schools in ME8 are 101% full, with more pupils than places overall. Check admissions before you buy.
04
Few private renters
Only 12.6% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England.
05
Mostly owner-occupied
77.2% of households own their home, against 61.3% across England.

Questions

ME8 FAQs

Is ME8 a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 6.7 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 20.1 per 1,000 people a year, band 5 of 10 nationally. 95% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 5.0 out of 10 (good).

How much does a house cost in ME8?

The median sale price over the last year was £335,500.

Homes in ME8 sold for a median of £335,500 across 626 sales in the year to August 2026, −4.1% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is ME8 safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 20.1 offences per 1,000 people a year around ME8, well below the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 5 of 10.

Who lives in ME8?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 55–59, at 7% of residents. 77.2% of households own their home. The most common property type is semi-detached (38.1%).

Which council covers ME8?

The local authority for ME8 is Medway.

ME8 comes under Medway in the South East. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is ME8?

Connectivity scores 5.0 out of 10.

There are 23 bus stops within 800m and 1 station or tram stop within a mile, scoring 5.0 out of 10 (good). The nearest station is Rainham (Kent) Rail Station, 0.7 miles away.

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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