# Rainham South West

South Medway. About 10,026 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 2.7 square kilometres.

Rainham South West had 9,899 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021).

Ward. Code E05014463. In: [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/south-east) › [Medway](https://openindex.co.uk/medway)

## Key figures

- **Population: 9,899** (2021). Rainham South West had 9,899 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021). Joint 2,505th most populated of 8,397. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/rainham-south-west#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 100%** (2022). About 100% of people in Rainham South West live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/rainham-south-west#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 98.6%** (January 2026). In Rainham South West, 98.6% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/rainham-south-west#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 2.0%** (August 2026). In Rainham South West, 2.0% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026 (ONS via Nomis). UK 3.9%. Source: Claimant count (Nomis), August 2026. Published 15 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/rainham-south-west#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=E05014463) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 100% of people in Rainham South West live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=E05014463) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Medway. The outline is Rainham South West.
- [Crime and ASB by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/recorded-crime?place=E05014463) (Police recorded crime and outcomes (data.police.uk) · August 2026): Crime and anti-social behaviour for Rainham South West.
- [Population by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=E05014463) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Rainham South West had 9,899 usual residents at the census.

## How Rainham South West compares

Each ward against every other ward the measure covers.

| Measure | Rainham South West | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 9,899 | 8th least populated | 24 wards, Medway · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 100% | joint most people in radon Affected Areas | 24 wards, Medway · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 98.6% | 5th highest | 24 wards, Medway · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 2.0% | 3rd lowest | 24 wards, Medway · Aug 2026 |

## Is Rainham South West safe? What police records show

In the 12 months to August 2026, police recorded crimes and anti-social behaviour in Rainham South West at a rate of 58.7 per 1,000 people.
That compares with 102.4 per 1,000 people across Medway.
Across England as a whole, the recorded crime rate was 96.3 per 1,000 people.
In August 2026 alone, 54 cases of crime and anti-social behaviour were recorded in Rainham South West.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the most common types were violence and sexual offences (186), other crime (125) and shoplifting (80).
Worked out by Open Index from police.uk crime records and ONS and NISRA population estimates.
Rates are per resident, so places that many people work in or visit, such as Westminster, the City of London and other city centres, have far higher rates than their residents alone would suggest.

## Figures for the whole of Medway

These figures are published for the whole of Medway, not for each ward, so they describe all of Medway and not Rainham South West alone. [See Medway](https://openindex.co.uk/medway)

- **Average house price: £297,757** (August 2026). Medway’s average house price was £297,757 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 0.5% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £39,622** (2025). Full-time workers living in Medway earned a median of £39,622 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 150th highest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 7.5×** (2025). A home in Medway costs 7.5 times local full-time pay. Joint 163rd least affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Deprivation score: 24.4** (2025). Medway has a deprivation score of 24.4 in the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG). Joint 84th most deprived of 296. Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025, 2025. Published 30 October 2025.

## Rainham South West in brief

Rainham South West had 9,899 usual residents at the census.
About 100% of people in Rainham South West live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In Rainham South West, 98.6% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In Rainham South West, 2.0% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Ward
- Code: E05014463
- Constituency: [Gillingham and Rainham †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/gillingham-and-rainham)
- Council: [Medway](https://openindex.co.uk/medway)
- Region: [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/south-east)
- Nation: [England](https://openindex.co.uk/england)
- Area: 2.71 km²
- People, mid-2024: 10,026*
- Neighbourhoods: 6
- Output areas: 31

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the constituency this ward mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow it.

## Next door

[Rainham South East](https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/rainham-south-east), [Rainham North](https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/rainham-north), [Hempstead & Wigmore](https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/hempstead-and-wigmore), [Watling](https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/watling), [Twydall](https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/twydall)

## Latest updates for Rainham South West

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Dental practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/E05014463

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/rainham-south-west, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/rainham-south-west#f-population.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/medway/ward/rainham-south-west