Around 9.5 million people in England now live in rural settlements, according to the most recent census data. That figure might sound large, but it represents just 17% of the country’s total population — meaning the vast majority of England remains countryside. Yet the conversation I keep hearing from readers is shifting. More people are asking whether the dream of moving to the countryside is becoming overcrowded, expensive, and harder to pull off than it used to be.
I’ve been writing about UK property and lifestyle trends for years, and this question comes up more than any other right now. The pandemic-era rush for space and greenery has left a lasting mark on rural housing markets, but the reality is more nuanced than headlines suggest. Rural areas are not uniformly crowded, and the challenges differ dramatically depending on where you look. Here’s what you actually need to know.
What “rural” actually means in England
The official definition matters more than you might think. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) classifies rural areas as those falling outside settlements of more than 10,000 residents. That’s a broad brush, and it covers everything from a village of 200 people to a market town of 9,500. When people ask me whether the countryside is overcrowded, I point out that the answer depends entirely on which rural area they mean. A commuter village in the Cotswolds faces very different pressures from a remote farm in Northumberland.
What I tend to notice is that people imagine “rural” as a single type of place, but the data shows it’s anything but. The population in rural communities is growing at a slower rate than urban ones, and it’s also older — particularly in the most remote areas. That ageing profile has real consequences for local services, housing demand, and community vitality.
Why the countryside is getting harder to access
The most visible pressure point is housing. In 2021/22, there were almost double the number of new residential addresses per population in rural areas compared to urban ones. That sounds like good news, but dig deeper and the picture shifts. Three in every four new homes in rural authorities are built by private enterprise, with affordable housing accounting for just 25% of delivery. Meanwhile, the proportion of dwellings classed as second homes in rural authorities is more than three times higher than in urban areas outside London — 2.5% versus 0.8%. That concentration of second homes directly reduces the stock available for local buyers and renters.
Affordability is also more about geography than rurality itself. Homes are generally more affordable to buy in the North of England than the South, regardless of whether they’re in a city or a village. So a rural property in Yorkshire may still be within reach, while a similar home in the South West is not. I’ve seen readers fixate on “countryside” as a category without realising that location within the country matters far more than the rural label.
There’s also a demographic divide worth noting. Net internal migration within England tends to flow towards rural authorities — except among 15- to 19-year-olds, who move away in significant numbers. That means rural areas are losing young people and gaining older ones, which reshapes everything from school rolls to local employment patterns. If you’re considering a move, it’s worth asking whether the community you’re joining has the age mix and services you’ll need in the long term.
Where people get tripped up about rural living
The most common mistake I see is assuming the countryside is cheaper. Rural households actually have a higher average income than urban ones, but that difference is more than offset by higher average expenditure — particularly on transport. If you move to a village without a shop, a pub, or a bus route, you’re looking at a car-dependent lifestyle that adds hundreds of pounds a month to your outgoings. A tiny home in the UK might seem like a budget-friendly rural option, but the running costs can catch you out if you haven’t factored in transport and heating.
Overlooking broadband and mobile connectivity
Availability of decent, superfast, or gigabit-capable broadband in the most rural areas lags behind the rest of England. Only 47% of rural premises have access to gigabit-capable broadband, compared to 84% in urban areas. Around 5% of rural premises cannot access a decent broadband service at all — defined as at least 10mbps download speed — versus just 1% in urban areas. For anyone working remotely or running a business from home, this is a dealbreaker that doesn’t always show up on a weekend viewing.
Underestimating access to services
Defra reports that 50% of the rural population live in areas with the poorest accessibility to services — the lowest 10% nationally — based on minimum travel times by public transport or walking. In urban areas, that figure is just 2%. This isn’t just about convenience. It affects access to healthcare, education, and employment. The average wait times for GP appointments are longer in rural areas, and the proportion of people recently visiting a dentist is lower. If you have a chronic condition or young children, these are practical realities, not abstractions.
Ignoring the energy efficiency of older homes
Rural homes are disproportionately either detached or built before 1919, and both characteristics make them less energy efficient. A marginally higher proportion of rural homes fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard compared to urban ones. With energy costs remaining high, an old stone cottage with single-glazed windows and no insulation can become a financial burden. A carbon monoxide alarm is essential in any older property with solid fuel heating, but the bigger issue is the heating bill itself.
Assuming crime is uniformly low
Recorded crime rates in rural areas are generally lower than in urban ones, and residents report higher confidence in the police. But there’s an exception: computer misuse. Victim rates for computer-related crime are actually higher in rural areas, possibly because of lower digital literacy or less robust home network security. A video doorbell can help with property security, but protecting against online fraud requires a different set of precautions.
→ Scroll right to see all columns
| Factor | Rural areas | Urban areas |
|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband access | 47% of premises | 84% of premises |
| Second homes as share of housing stock | 2.5% | 0.8% |
| Population in most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods | 1% | 12% |
| Working population working from home | 35% | 30% |
Writing about topics like this takes real time and research. If you buy something through an Amazon link on this page, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. It’s one of the things that makes it possible to keep BritWealth free to read. I only link to products that are genuinely relevant to the article.
How to decide if rural living is right for you
Making the move to the countryside requires more than a love of scenery. The data points to several practical checks that separate a successful relocation from a regretful one. Here’s what I’d do if I were considering it today.
Check broadband before you view a property
Don’t rely on estate agent claims. Use the Ofcom broadband checker or the government’s broadband availability tool to see what speeds are actually achievable at a specific address. If you need reliable video calls or large file uploads, look for fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) rather than fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC). The gap between rural and urban connectivity is narrowing, but it’s narrowing slowly. If the property you’re interested in falls into that 5% without decent broadband, factor in the cost and feasibility of a 4G or 5G router as a backup.
Calculate your true transport costs
Rural households spend significantly more on transport than urban ones, and that difference more than offsets their higher average income. Before you commit, map out your weekly journeys: school run, supermarket, GP surgery, workplace, social activities. Add up the mileage and fuel costs, plus wear and tear on your vehicle. If you need two cars because public transport is non-existent, that’s a recurring expense that eats into any housing saving. A remote work reshapes UK property in many ways, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for a car in most rural locations.
Look at the age profile of the local community
Over a quarter of rural residents are aged 65 and above. That’s not inherently a problem, but it does affect the types of services available — from childcare to social activities to local employment. If you’re a young family, check the local school’s pupil numbers and whether it has a full-time head teacher. Rural schools have been reducing in number over the last decade, and those that remain tend to have fewer students and are less likely to employ a full-time head. The pupil-to-teacher ratio has also risen. These are practical considerations that weekend visits won’t reveal.
Understand the second home dynamics in your target area
In majority rural authorities, 2.5% of homes are second homes — more than three times the rate in urban areas outside London. But that average masks huge local variation. In some coastal and national park areas, the figure is much higher. High concentrations of second homes can hollow out communities, reduce local services, and push up prices beyond what local wages can support. If you’re buying a primary residence, look at council tax records and local planning policies to see whether second home restrictions or premiums are being introduced. Some councils are now using council tax surcharges on second homes to fund affordable housing.
Plan for healthcare access
Rural areas have more GP working hours per patient than urban areas, but average wait times for appointments are longer. NHS dentistry access is notably worse, with higher patient-to-dentist ratios and lower rates of recent visits. If you have a condition that requires regular hospital appointments, check the travel time by car and by public transport. Healthwatch has reported long, challenging, and costly travel times for hospital appointments in rural areas. A financial advisor can help you budget for these additional healthcare costs if you’re self-employed or planning an early retirement move.
Frequently asked questions about rural overcrowding
Is the rural population actually growing? ▾
Are rural homes more affordable than urban ones? ▾
What percentage of rural homes are second homes? ▾
Is broadband still a problem in the countryside? ▾
Are young people leaving the countryside? ▾
Is rural crime lower than urban crime? ▾
The countryside isn’t overcrowded in any uniform sense, but it is under pressure from specific forces: an ageing population, a shortage of affordable housing, patchy digital infrastructure, and the concentration of second homes in certain hotspots. The decision to move rural should be based on your specific circumstances — your age, your work, your health, and your budget — not on a generalised idea of escaping the city. If this was useful, you might also want to read is green property investment the next big thing in the UK.
Sources and Further Reading
Airbnb angst: the impact of short-term lets on UK neighbourhoods — Explores how short-term lets affect housing supply and community dynamics, closely related to the second home issue in rural areas.
Why government regulations are reshaping UK buy-to-let investing — Covers policy changes affecting landlords, relevant to anyone considering a rural rental property.
Key findings: statistical digest of rural England. UK Government, 2024.
Rural communities: issues and support. House of Lords Library, 2024.
