Hastings
§ This page gives an overview of the Hastings local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Hastings, on the East Sussex coast, is a historic seaside town with links to the famous 1066 Battle of Hastings, fought nearby at Battle Abbey. The Old Town is full of narrow streets, timber-framed buildings, and fishing huts, while the seafront has piers, amusements, and cultural venues such as Hastings Contemporary. Hastings Country Park and the East and West Hills rise above the town with sweeping views of the Channel, while pebble beaches and cliffs frame the coastline. Its landscape is a blend of seaside, heritage, and rugged hillsides.
Hastings Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Hastings local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of Hastings can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Hastings.
Key Facts about Hastings
What region is Hastings in? Hastings is in the South East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Hastings in? Hastings is located in the county of East Sussex.
Is Hastings a city? No, Hastings is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Hastings? The local authority for this district is: Hastings 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 Hastings Borough Council 🔗 hastings.gov.uk
Which police force covers Hastings? Policing in Hastings 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.
Constituencies in Hastings
Hastings is divided into 1 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
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 Hastings
Hastings is divided into 16 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Ashdown
- Baird
- Braybrooke
- Castle
- Central St Leonards
- Conquest
- Gensing
- Hollington
- Maze Hill
- Old Hastings
- Ore
- Silverhill
- St Helens
- Tressell
- West St Leonards
- Wishing Tree
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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Parishes in Hastings
Hastings 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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Hastings
Below is a list of post towns in Hastings, grouped by postcode area:
- TN ▸ Hastings (TN34 / TN35) ⁞ St. Leonards-on-Sea (TN37 / TN38)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in Hastings
Hastings covers 4 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bachelor's Bump *
- Bexhill-on-Sea *
- Fairlight *
- Hastings *
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 Hastings.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Hastings
Hastings is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the Hastings Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Govia Thameslink Railway (Southern) ▸ Ore (TN34 3ND)
- Southeastern ▸ Hastings (TN34 1BA) ⁞ St Leonards Warrior Square (TN37 6HL) ⁞ West St Leonards (TN38 0NL)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.
Hastings compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Hastings compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Hastings has 16 electoral wards.
Hastings has a population of 91,219 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Hastings
This chart shows the population trend for Hastings from 2015 to 2024. It provides a quick overview of whether the local authority is growing, stable, or declining over time, and helps set context for the migration patterns shown below.
Population change is influenced by natural change (births minus deaths) and migration. The net migration chart below focuses on migration, separating internal migration (moves within the UK) from international migration (moves to and from abroad). Positive values indicate net inflows, while negative values indicate net outflows. The rate labels (per 1,000 residents) help compare migration intensity across years, even when the population size changes.
More local statistics and data for Hastings can be found on the ONS statistics for Hastings.