What it's like to live in Chatham

Social renting is a smaller slice of the market here than nationally: 13.6% of homes across Medway are socially rented, against 17.1% for England, with 64.7% owned and 20.2% privately rented. That means fewer social homes in the mix, so swaps can take patience.

Medway Council is the biggest social landlord with around 3,037 homes, followed by Moat Homes with 1,174, London and Quadrant with 816, Orbit with 724 and Southern Housing with 670.

Average weekly social rents in Medway for 2024/25 were about £95 for a one bed, £111 for a two bed and £129 for a three bed. Your own rent will depend on your landlord and property, so check before you commit.

The age profile is fairly young, with 27.4% of Medway residents aged 25 to 44 and 16.5% aged 65 and over, below the England figure of 18.4%.

There is a good spread of primary schools close in. Brompton Westbrook Primary is about 0.4 miles away, with New Road Primary, Saint Michael's RC Primary and Nursery, and St Johns Infants all around half a mile, and All Saints C of E Primary at 0.7 miles.

For older children, The Victory Academy is roughly 1.2 miles, with Waterfront UTC, Rivermead School, The Robert Napier School and Thomas Aveling School all within two miles. Check each school's admissions and latest inspection yourself, as places and catchments change.

Across the wider Medway area, 20.3% of residents are under 16, a little above the England figure of 18.6%. It is a young area, and that shows in the number of families around.

Medway Maritime Hospital is under a mile away, and there are several GP practices and pharmacies close to the centre.

Chatham station is about half a mile from the centre, and Rochester and Gillingham stations are both within roughly a mile, so you have a genuine choice of three stations. That is unusual and useful, especially if one line is disrupted or one route happens to suit your work better.

The Waterfront bus station sits right in the middle of town, with several stops serving different routes. If you do not drive, that makes Chatham one of the easier Medway towns to live in without a car.

Drivers will find the town well connected to the rest of Medway, though the centre is busy and parking varies a lot street by street. Ask your swap partner what the parking is like where they are before you agree anything.

Green space is closer than you might expect for a town centre. Millennium Memorial Garden, Town Hall Gardens and Riverside Gardens are all within a few minutes' walk, with the Chatham Naval Memorial and Victoria Gardens a little further. They are small and civic rather than big open country, but they break up the streets.

For shopping, the Pentagon Shopping Centre is the main draw, with the Trafalgar Centre nearby and Dockside about a mile away. ODEON Chatham is just over a mile off and Cineworld Rochester about two.

Evenings are lively. Tap 'n' Tin, Coyotes and the Prince of Wales are all in or near the centre, and Discobowl offers something for families too. There are several gyms within half a mile, plus community spaces like The Baobab Centre and Bookshop and Second Chance Medway Community Centre.

Across the Medway council area, 59.5% of adults are in work, slightly above the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment sits at 3.6% against 3.5% nationally. Benefit claimants among 16 to 64 year olds were 4.2% in August 2026, close to the England figure of 4%.

In plain terms, the local job market is broadly typical for England rather than unusually strong or weak. Medway Maritime Hospital is a major presence under a mile from the centre, and the town centre itself has retail and hospitality around the Pentagon and the waterfront.

Three stations within about a mile give you options if your work is further afield, whether that is elsewhere in Kent or towards London.