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Living in Grays

At the end of 2021, Grays had a population of 44,345. For Grays, the regional median gross salary was €3,576 per month at the end of 2024. At the end of 2023, unemployment in Grays reached 4.2%.

Last checked 2026-09-2428 sources

Population44,345people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary (region)3,576EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Average rent1,612EUR/month31 Aug 2026District figureOfficial source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price
Unemployment rate4.2%31 Dec 2023Regional figureOfficial source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Recorded crime8,565incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)
PM2.5, annual mean12µg/m³31 Dec 2019Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency

Higher unemployment than 72% of United Kingdom cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 74% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Grays?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Grays.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Grays. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Grays recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€24
Mobile plan, 10 GB€13
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited24.02 EUR/month30 Sept 2026BT Full Fibre 1501Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB12.87 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Three 100GB one-month data pack16Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)1,612 EUR/month31 Aug 2026ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price12Official · county

Is Grays a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker33%strong on work, weak on safety · range 22–44%
Skilled employee43%strong on work, weak on safety · range 33–53%
Student42%strong on education, weak on safety · range 32–52%
Family62%strong on family, weak on cost · range 51–73%
Retirement36%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 22–50%

Work and income

The employment rate of 62.8% was recorded at the end of 2021. Grays's working population was 21,870 at the end of 2021.

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Grays is 4.2%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate62.8 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,576 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)8Official · regional context
Unemployment rate4.2 %31 Dec 2023Office for National Statistics (ONS)9Official · regional context

What does a salary buy in Grays?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €3,576 (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€1,271of €2,920 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,920
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price · 2026-08-31− €1,612
Internet€24 · official · BT Full Fibre 150 · 2026-09-30− €24
Mobile plan€13 · official · Three 100GB one-month data pack · 2026-09-30− €13
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€1,271
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Grays Salary needed to live in Grays

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Grays. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Grays. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary schools16 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)3Official
Schools26 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)3Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Grays's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Safety

How safe is Grays?

Police recorded about 8,565 incidents per 100,000 (2025-26). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)15

Recorded crime across major citiesGrays highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Grays highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267
Bristol13,099
Liverpool12,409
Leeds11,462
Birmingham11,416
Leicester11,001
Sheffield9,693
Cardiff9,379
Belfast9,156
Coventry8,836
Glasgow757
Edinburgh549
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents8,565 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)15Official · county

Mobility and administration

Grays's nearest airport was LCY, 19 km away and offered 35 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport35 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights13Official
Distance to the nearest major airport19 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)LCY3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official

Climate and air quality

The annual PM2.5 concentration measured 12 µg/m³ at the end of 2019.

Is the air quality good in Grays?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency5

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomOf 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean12 µg/m³31 Dec 2019European Environment Agency5Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by monthJan 8 · Feb 8.5 · Mar 11 · Apr 14.2 · May 17.3 · Jun 20.4 · Jul 22.8 · Aug 22.6 · Sep 19.5 · Oct 15.4 · Nov 11.2 · Dec 8.5 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI17Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 2.2 · Feb 2.1 · Mar 3.6 · Apr 5.1 · May 8 · Jun 10.8 · Jul 13 · Aug 12.9 · Sep 10.4 · Oct 7.8 · Nov 4.6 · Dec 2.5 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 5.1 · Feb 5.3 · Mar 7.3 · Apr 9.6 · May 12.6 · Jun 15.6 · Jul 17.9 · Aug 17.8 · Sep 14.9 · Oct 11.6 · Nov 7.9 · Dec 5.5 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 69.3 · Feb 51.2 · Mar 43.5 · Apr 45.5 · May 46.2 · Jun 47.5 · Jul 41.7 · Aug 55.5 · Sep 50.3 · Oct 73.4 · Nov 75.1 · Dec 71 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI20Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In United Kingdom: Harrow ±0.3 °C. Elsewhere: Saanich (Canada) ±0.6 °C, Reims (France) ±1.1 °C, Werl (Germany) ±1.1 °C, Cork (Ireland) ±1.4 °C, Neustadt in Holstein (Germany) ±1.5 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

Grays's median age was 37 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Grays?

The published population was 44,345 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics7

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population44,345 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics7Official

International community in Grays

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom32,62073.6%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)6,32014.3%
Europe: EU countries5,40512.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher27.1 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official
Workers aged 16 and over21,870 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official
Median age37 years31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official
Universities0 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students10Official

Alternatives for people set on Grays

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Rochester as a Grays alternative in the same region

16 km away, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 37 Rochester vs 8,565 Grays−100%
  • Unemployment: 2.6% Rochester vs 4.2% Grays−38%
  • Residents: 67,285 Rochester vs 44,345 Grays+52%
  • Annual PM2.5: 14.0 µg/m³ Rochester vs 12.0 µg/m³ Grays+17%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,409 Rochester vs €3,576 Grays−5%
Full comparisonMore about Rochester

Cities near Grays

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Grays, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities
Batley44,500 residentsCoatbridge43,950 residentsWrexham44,785 residentsGrantham44,905 residentsBexhill-on-Sea43,755 residentsTrowbridge43,750 residents

How does Grays compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Grays's.

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Grays under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Is Grays part of London?

Grays is near London, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 31.5 km away by straight-line distance. London city profile

Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source4

Put Grays's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Grays?

The published population was 44,345 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Grays?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.

How safe is Grays?

Police recorded about 8,565 incidents per 100,000 (2025-26). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3).

What is the typical salary around Grays?

The median gross salary is 3,576 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Grays a good place to live?

Grays may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Is Grays part of London?

Grays is near London, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 31.5 km away by straight-line distance.

Which cities are near Grays?

West Thurrock, Swanscombe, Greenhithe, Gravesend, Stone are near Grays. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Europe: United Kingdom live in Grays?

The official country of birth distribution records 32,620 people (73.6%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Grays, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version fb3e5da3be74335d2311374dbc2bbcc7]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/grays/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_grays-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_4a537561078f,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Grays, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {fb3e5da3be74335d2311374dbc2bbcc7},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/grays/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Grays, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/grays/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version fb3e5da3be74335d2311374dbc2bbcc7; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. BT Full Fibre 150 bt.com · checked 2026-09-15
  2. Coordinate identity evidence services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-06
  3. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  4. download.geonames.org recorded crime data download.geonames.org · checked 2026-08-28
  5. European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  6. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  7. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  8. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  9. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  10. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
Show 18 more sources
  1. ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
  2. ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-24
  3. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  4. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-24
  6. Three 100GB one-month data pack three.co.uk · checked 2026-09-15
  7. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  8. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  9. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  10. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  16. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  18. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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