Spotlight on: Benfleet

There are a total of 21,508 properties in Benfleet, SS7. As of October 2020 the population of the area is 46,201.

80% of these people are owner occupiers, while 7% are private tenants. The rest of the population is either too old or young to have their data available publicly, or they have elected to make it unavailable.

The most common age group of locals in the area is 66+ years old.

43% of households have a mortgage, while 47% own their home outright and on average, households across Benfleet, SS7 have an income of £49,470 per
annum.

There are a whopping 51 restaurants in Benfleet, of which 10 are Indian cuisine, with 5 Mediterranean restaurants, leading it to be called a 'restaurant town', and I've seen local residents be referred to as 'takeaway obsessed' which has no doubt been encouraged by lockdowns 1 & 2.

There are 12 junior and 10 secondary schools in Benfleet, with 5 Benfleet schools listed as Outstanding by Ofsted, and a further 9 earning the Good rating.

Benfleet residents online are overwhelmingly positive about their home town, listing the community spirit among the very best reasons to live in Benfleet. The top positives given by local residents were:

• The lovely sense of community, and friendliness of local residents
• The parks and open spaces, with lots of enjoyable local walks
• Easy transport links to London and the coast
• Lots of lovely restaurants and takeaways to choose from
• Nice, family friendly local pubs
• Great choice of local schools

The negatives given were pretty minor, but included:

• Failure by dog owners to pick up after their pet (not cool, dog owners!)
• The traffic at Tarpots during rush hour can be a real drag
• The post has been very slow during the Covid crisis! Unfortunately the local sorting office appears to have been hit hard.

Do you live in Benfleet? Or perhaps you're considering a move? I'd love to get your view on my home town.