Chipping Ongar
Epping Forest 004 · 4 sub-areas · 7,234 residents
Epping Forest 004 is a quiet residential area within the Epping Forest district, home to around 7,200 people. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £1,570 a month — noticeably above the national median but reflecting the area's strong owner-occupier character and proximity to the fringes of greater London.
Chipping Ongar is a mid-density neighbourhood of Epping Forest in the East of England region. It sits between busier and quieter parts of the local authority and isn't dominated by a single use — there's a mix of workplaces, housing and local services. The population skews older, with a long-settled feel and a high share of retirees; most homes are owner-occupied, so turnover is low and many residents have been here a long time.
Overview
What's it like to live in Chipping Ongar?
2 parks are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; Transport links are limited — a car or e-bike is a practical assumption for most regular trips; rents sit firmly in the upper bracket nationally, with a typical home letting at around £1,826 a month; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Chipping Ongar in Epping Forest
Living in Chipping Ongar
This part of Epping Forest sits firmly in commuter-belt territory, though the numbers tell an interesting story. Over seven in ten households own their home outright or with a mortgage — a rate far above what you'd find in most urban areas — and the private rented sector is relatively thin, at around one in nine households. That shapes the neighbourhood's feel: settled, family-oriented, and quiet in the way that owner-occupied suburbs tend to be.
Rents here sit above the national average but below what you'd pay in inner or outer London. A two-bedroom place runs around £1,570 a month, and a three-bedroom home nudges close to £1,920. Those figures are estimates scaled from district-level data using local sale prices — see the cost section below for the caveat — but they're consistent with the area's median house price of around £456,000.
The population skews older and family-shaped. Nearly a quarter of residents are under 18, and another quarter are 65 or over — the classic demographic of a settled suburban area where families have put down roots and stayed. Young professionals looking for a buzzy renter scene won't find it here; this is more school-run and garden-centre territory.
Getting to London by public transport takes around 159 minutes, which matters if you're planning a daily commute. The majority of residents — more than half — travel by car, and nearly a third work from home, which helps explain why somewhere this far out still attracts higher earners. Broadband coverage is excellent: the area has full gigabit connectivity and no properties below the universal service obligation standard.
For sub-areas and street-level detail, see the streets and sub-areas listed below.
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Frequently asked
- Is Epping Forest 004 a nice place to live?
- It depends on what you're looking for. It's a calm, settled area with low crime and good broadband, well suited to families and homeowners who don't need a daily commute into London. The school picture is mixed — only around half of nearby schools are rated Good or Outstanding — and the public transport links are limited, so a car is essentially essential.
- What is the rent in Epping Forest 004?
- A one-bedroom place runs around £1,220 a month, a two-bed about £1,570, and a three-bed closer to £1,920. These are estimates scaled from district-level data using local sale prices, so treat them as a guide rather than a precise figure. The private rental market here is relatively thin — around one in nine households rents privately.
- Is Epping Forest 004 safe?
- Yes, broadly. The area records around 56 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, which is noticeably below the UK national average of roughly 80. Low-density suburban and semi-rural areas like this tend to have lower crime rates than urban centres, and the overall picture here is consistent with that pattern.
- What's the commute from Epping Forest 004 to London?
- By public transport, the journey to London takes around 159 minutes — so it's a long haul for a daily commute. Most residents drive, and the nearest mainline rail station is over 10 km away. Nearly a third of residents work from home, which is the main reason this area still attracts higher earners despite the distance.
- Who lives in Epping Forest 004?
- Mostly families and older settled residents. Nearly a quarter of the population is under 18 and another quarter is 65 or over. Around 70% of households own their home, and the area is one of the more ethnically homogeneous in the region, with 95% of residents born in the UK.
- What schools are near Epping Forest 004?
- There are 10 schools within typical catchment distance, but only around 54% are rated Good or Outstanding — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is just over 10 km away. It's worth checking the Epping Forest district admissions guide and Ofsted's database directly before relying on catchment assumptions.
- Is Epping Forest 004 good for families?
- It has some family-friendly characteristics — low crime, good broadband, and a settled community feel with a high share of households with children. The trade-off is that the school quality within catchment is below the national average and a car is essential for most errands and the school run.