What it's like to live in Northfleet

Housing in Northfleet is varied: terraces, post-war estates, flats and newer homes towards Ebbsfleet. Across the Gravesham council area, 17.4% of homes are social rented, just above the England figure of 17.1%, split between council at 12.7% and housing associations at 4.7%. Around 62.2% are owner-occupied and 19.1% privately rented.

Gravesham Borough Council is comfortably the biggest social landlord with 5,641 homes. Moat Homes has 626, Town and Country Housing 477, Gravesend Churches Housing Association 412 and Hyde 411. So most swaps here will involve the council or one of those names.

Rents are modest. Average weekly social rents in the borough for 2024/25 were about £93 for a one bed, £113 for two beds and £123 for three. At 31 March 2025 there were 1,023 households on the council's housing register, which isn't a simple queue but does show demand. In 2024-25, 355 social homes were let through the council and 32 council homes changed hands by mutual exchange.

There's an unusual amount of choice for schools in a small area. St Botolph's Church of England Primary is about 0.1 miles out, with Copperfield Academy and Rosherville Church of England Academy both around 0.2 miles, St Joseph's Catholic Primary at 0.3 miles and Cecil Road Primary and Nursery under a mile. That means many families can walk, and have more than one realistic option.

For older children, Northfleet Technology College is roughly half a mile away, Northfleet School for Girls under a mile, and Mayfield Grammar School about 0.6 miles. Rosherville also takes secondary age. Always check current admissions and Ofsted reports yourself before committing to a swap.

Outside school, Northfleet Urban Country Park is the obvious free day out, with Wombwell Park, Woodlands Park, Dashwood Road Open Space and the newer Ebbsfleet River Park all within a mile or so. Coldharbour and Dashwood libraries are both close for story times and homework space. Gravesham Community Hospital is under a mile away.

Trains are Northfleet's strongest card. Northfleet station is about a mile away, Gravesend just under a mile, and Ebbsfleet International around a mile and a bit, with high-speed services. Between the three you have real choice, and plenty of people here build their working week around them. Swanscombe and Tilbury Town are also within three miles.

Buses link the local streets with Gravesend town centre and the surrounding area, and there's a coach stop at Ebbsfleet International. Services are usable for shopping and school runs, though as anywhere you'll want to check evening and Sunday times before you rely on them.

On foot, much of what you need is close. Schools, pharmacies, a Co-op and an Aldi are all under half a mile from the heart of the town, and Gravesend's Thamesgate Shopping Centre is about a mile. Driving, you're near the main routes east and west along the Thames corridor, though parking varies street by street and rush hour around the crossing can be slow.

Northfleet is pub country. The Red Lion, The Earl Grey, The Campbell Arms and The Six Bells are all within half a mile, and Iron Pier Taproom gives the town a proper local brewery tap. It's an easy place to have a regular.

For a night out with a bit more to it, The Woodville in Gravesend is under a mile away and covers films and live shows. Thamesgate Shopping Centre is about the same distance for the usual high street names, with Grays Shopping Centre under three miles if you fancy crossing the river.

If you want to keep active without paying club prices, the parks and the riverside paths do most of the work. For gyms, Iron House Gym is about 0.6 miles, NRG and PureGym around a mile, with Shapers and Snap Fitness a little further. Church halls and community centres run the smaller stuff, which is often where you meet people when you've just moved in.

Gravesham is a working borough. Census figures for the wider council area show 58.8% of adults in work, a touch above the England figure of 57.4%, with unemployment at 3.8% against 3.5% nationally. More recent benefit claimant data for the borough puts the rate at 4.3% of 16 to 64 year olds, slightly above England's 4%.

In practice, lots of people here commute. The high-speed link from Ebbsfleet International and the services from Gravesend and Northfleet make London work realistic without London rents, which is exactly why the area appeals to so many families.

Locally, the jobs tend to be in retail, care, logistics, schools and hospitality, with Gravesend town centre, the hospital and the big supermarkets among the nearer employers. If you work shifts or need to get home late, check train and bus times from your actual street before you decide, because that's what will make or break the commute.