Eastbourne

§ This page gives an overview of the Eastbourne local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. One of 361 district profiles on Baseview.

Overview ⁞ Eastbourne is a seaside town on the East Sussex coast, backed by the South Downs. It is famed for its Victorian seafront with the pier, carpet gardens, and elegant promenade, while Beachy Head’s towering chalk cliffs and panoramic views define the western edge of the town. The South Downs National Park provides rolling hills, walking trails, and scenic countryside immediately inland. Eastbourne combines coastal charm with dramatic natural landmarks, making it one of England’s most attractive seaside settings.

The administrative boundary of Eastbourne can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Eastbourne.

Map of Eastbourne
Administrative Boundary of Eastbourne (Local Authority District)

Key Facts about Eastbourne

What region is Eastbourne in? Eastbourne is in the South East of England, a region within the UK.

What county is Eastbourne in? Eastbourne is located in the county of East Sussex.

Is Eastbourne a city? No, Eastbourne is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)

Who governs Eastbourne? The local authority for this district is: Eastbourne Borough Council - responsible for district-level services. Since East Sussex is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: East Sussex County Council.

▶ Official website of Eastbourne Borough Council 🔗 lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk

Website of Eastbourne Borough Council
Website of Eastbourne Borough Council (captured on 2025-09-20)

Which police force covers Eastbourne? Policing in Eastbourne is provided by Sussex Police 🔗 sussex.police.uk, which serves 13 local authority districts: Adur ⁞ Arun ⁞ Brighton and Hove ⁞ Chichester ⁞ Crawley ⁞ Eastbourne ⁞ Hastings ⁞ Horsham ⁞ Lewes ⁞ Mid Sussex ⁞ Rother ⁞ Wealden ⁞ Worthing.

This district page, Eastbourne, is a sub-page of this county page: East Sussex and this region page: South East. It zooms in to local authorities and parliamentary constituencies, and provides a list of wards in this district. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK local authority districts: List of Local Authority Districts.

Constituencies in Eastbourne

A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.

Wards in Eastbourne

Eastbourne is divided into 9 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.

  • Devonshire
  • Hampden Park
  • Langney
  • Meads
  • Old Town
  • Ratton
  • Sovereign
  • St Anthony's
  • Upperton

In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data.

Parishes in Eastbourne

Eastbourne is entirely unparished—there are no civil parishes in this local authority district.

Parishes are the lowest tier of local government; where they don’t exist, those very local services and representation sit directly with the principal council.

Built-up Areas in Eastbourne

Eastbourne covers 5 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.

  • Crumbles *
  • East Dean and Friston *
  • Eastbourne *
  • Lower Willingdon *
  • Pevensey Bay *

In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Eastbourne.)

Eastbourne compared with other districts in the UK

This section shows how Eastbourne compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.

Eastbourne has 9 electoral wards.

Eastbourne compared with other districts
Smaller: 11  Similar: 15  Larger: 335 (compared with 361 districts)

Eastbourne has a population of 104,259 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)

Population of Eastbourne compared with other districts
Population of Eastbourne, compared with other districts in England and Wales

More local statistics and data for Eastbourne can be found on the ONS statistics for Eastbourne.