Rochford
§ This page gives an overview of the Rochford 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 ⁞ Rochford district lies in south Essex, with a mix of countryside, estuary coastline, and small towns. Rochford itself is a historic market town, while nearby settlements include Rayleigh, with its medieval castle mound, and Hockley, surrounded by woodlands. The district borders Southend and includes London Southend Airport. The Crouch and Roach estuaries shape its geography, with sailing, fishing, and nature reserves along the coastline. Villages and rural landscapes add to the district’s diversity, creating a balance between countryside and urban influence.
Rochford Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Rochford 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 Rochford can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Rochford.
Key Facts about Rochford
What region is Rochford in? Rochford is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Rochford in? Rochford is located in the county of Essex.
Is Rochford a city? No, Rochford is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Rochford? The local authority for this district is: Rochford District Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Essex is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Essex County Council.
▶ Official website of Rochford District Council 🔗 rochford.gov.uk
Which police force covers Rochford? Policing in Rochford is provided by Essex Police 🔗 essex.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Basildon ⁞ Braintree ⁞ Brentwood ⁞ Castle Point ⁞ Chelmsford ⁞ Colchester ⁞ Epping Forest ⁞ Harlow ⁞ Maldon ⁞ Rochford ⁞ Southend-on-Sea ⁞ Tendring ⁞ Thurrock ⁞ Uttlesford.
Constituencies in Rochford
Rochford is divided into 2 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 Rochford
Rochford is divided into 13 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Downhall and Rawreth
- Foulness and The Wakerings
- Hawkwell East
- Hawkwell West
- Hockley
- Hockley and Ashingdon
- Hullbridge
- Lodge
- Roche North and Rural
- Roche South
- Sweyne Park and Grange
- Trinity
- Wheatley
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 Rochford
Rochford is fully parished: 14 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Ashingdon
- Barling Magna
- Canewdon
- Foulness
- Great Wakering
- Hawkwell
- Hockley
- Hullbridge
- Paglesham
- Rawreth
- Rayleigh
- Rochford
- Stambridge
- Sutton
A civil parish is the lowest tier of local government in England, used for villages, small towns, and suburbs. They have their own local authority, either a parish council or a parish meeting, which provides local services like managing parks, allotments, and streetlights, and represents the community's views to larger councils.
We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Rochford
Below is a list of post towns in Rochford, grouped by postcode area:
- SS ▸ Hockley (SS5) ⁞ Rayleigh (SS6) ⁞ Rochford (SS4)
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 Rochford
Rochford covers 14 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Ashingdon
- Battlesbridge *
- Canewdon
- Creeksea
- Great Wakering *
- Hockley and Hawkwell
- Hullbridge
- Rawreth
- Rayleigh *
- Rochford *
- Southend-on-Sea *
- Stonebridge *
- Thundersley and South Benfleet *
- Wickford *
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 Rochford.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Rochford
Rochford 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 Rochford Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Greater Anglia ▸ Rayleigh (SS6 7HJ) ⁞ Hockley (SS5 4BG) ⁞ Rochford (SS4 1AU)
- Stobart Rail ▸ Southend Airport (SS2 6YF)
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.
Rochford compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Rochford compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Rochford has 13 electoral wards.
Rochford has a population of 89,815 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Rochford
This chart shows the population trend for Rochford 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 Rochford can be found on the ONS statistics for Rochford.