Braintree: house prices, jobs and local statistics

Detached

£567,453

Semi-detached

£340,162

Terraced

£273,144

Flat or maisonette

£155,501

First-time buyers

£264,226

The claimant count is people claiming unemployment-related benefits as a share of residents aged 16 to 64; the unemployment rate is the survey measure of people out of work and looking. Pay is for full-time employees who live in the area.

• Residents

  119,497 in 1991 → 164,304 in 2024 (+37.5%)

  England over the same years: +22.4%

• Average house price

  £177,977 in 2005 → £328,477 in 2026 (+84.6%)

  England over the same years: +85.9%

• Median weekly pay

  £470 in 2008 → £700 in 2025 (+49.2%)

  England over the same years: +63.7%

• Employment rate

  76.1% in 2004 → 75.6% in 2023 (−0.7%)

  England over the same years: +4.4%

• Claimant count

  1.3% in 2001 → 2.6% in 2025 (+100.0%)

  England over the same years: +60.0%

• Disposable income per head

  £10,834 in 1997 → £26,019 in 2024 (+140.2%)

  England over the same years: +143.8%

40 official indicators are published for Braintree; 30 of them have a better and a worse direction and are ranked here. A rank of 1st is the best (lowest unemployment, highest pay, and so on).

Where it ranks best

• New homes · Housing13.0 per 1,000 (2024/25) · 38th highest of 296
• Productivity · Economy & work£44.8 per hour (2023) · 66th highest of 361
• Median weekly pay · Economy & work£700 (April 2025) · 80th highest of 359
• High-growth businesses · Economy & work5.2% (2024) · 91st highest of 361

Where it ranks worst

• Job density · Economy & work0.61 jobs per resident (2024) · 302nd highest of 350
• Public EV chargers · Connectivity & access88.9 per 100,000 (mid-2026) · 292nd highest of 361
• Time to a job centre · Connectivity & access15 min (2019) · 262nd lowest of 326
• GCSE English and maths · Education & skills68.4% (2024/25) · 245th highest of 313

These figures are published for county councils, so they are for Essex, which includes Braintree.

• Life expectancy (male) (2025)80.5 years · England 80.0 · 49th highest of 151
• Life expectancy (female) (2025)84.3 years · England 83.8 · 56th highest of 151
• Healthy life expectancy (male) (2022 - 24)62.7 years · England 60.9 · 44th highest of 151
• Healthy life expectancy (female) (2022 - 24)62.4 years · England 61.3 · 52nd highest of 151
• Under-75 mortality, all causes (2025)290.4 per 100k · England 321.0 · 48th lowest of 151
• Adult smoking prevalence (2024)9.7% · England 10.4 · 62nd lowest of 148
• Adults overweight or obese (2024/25)67.5% · England 64.6 · 96th lowest of 153

These figures are published for county councils, so they are for Essex, which includes Braintree.

• School readiness (good development at Reception) (2024/25)70.7% · England 68.3 · 37th highest of 153
• GCSE Attainment 8 score (2024/25)45.4 score · England 46.0 · 81st highest of 153
• 16–17 year-olds NEET or activity not known (2025/26)6.2% · England 5.8 · 107th lowest of 150
• Children in absolute low-income families (2024/25)14.4% · England 19.8 · 38th lowest of 153