Towns and cities in Essex by population
By
James Burfield , SEO consultant, Bath · Page updated
18 September 2026 · ONS mid-year estimates · GeoNames
All 153 populated places in Essex, ranked by current population. The largest is Basildon, with 144,859 people.
Every place in Essex, ranked
Do not add these figures together to get Essex's population. Settlement boundaries overlap, so the rows below sum to more than the area actually holds. We hold no single official figure for this area.
Why figures differ .
1.34M
sum of the places listed below
# Place Population 1 Basildon 144,859 2 Colchester 130,245 3 Chelmsford 111,511 4 Harlow 93,300 5 Braintree 53,477 6 Brentwood 52,586 7 Clacton-on-Sea 50,548 8 South Benfleet 48,824 9 Canvey Island 38,170 10 Billericay 36,338 11 Rayleigh 32,380 12 Wickford 27,535 13 Witham 25,353 14 Pitsea 25,000 15 Maldon 23,380 16 Waltham Abbey 22,858 17 Harwich 20,723 18 Hadleigh 18,300 19 Walton-on-the-Naze 17,458 20 Frinton-on-Sea 16,941 21 Rochford 16,739 22 Saffron Walden 16,610 23 Chigwell 12,250 24 Halstead 11,906 25 Buckhurst Hill 11,755 26 Epping 10,695 27 Wivenhoe 9,567 28 Tiptree 9,182 29 Brightlingsea 8,076 30 Great Dunmow 7,749 31 Grange Hill 7,602 32 Burnham-on-Crouch 7,561 33 West Mersea 7,057 34 Old Harlow 6,968 35 Danbury 6,673 36 Manningtree 5,696 37 Ingatestone 5,620 38 Shenfield 5,460 39 Stansted Mountfitchet 5,429 40 Great Wakering 5,400 41 Kelvedon 5,322 42 Writtle 4,840 43 Coggeshall 4,727 44 Little Clacton 4,590 45 Southminster 4,025 46 Chipping Ongar 3,967 47 Hatfield Peverel 3,950 48 Earls Colne 3,862 49 Silver End 3,861 50 Theydon Bois 3,829 51 Wickham Bishops 3,788 52 Mayland 3,724 53 Sible Hedingham 3,702 54 Marks Tey 3,679 55 Takeley 3,387 56 Boreham 3,244 57 West Bergholt 3,215 58 Bicknacre 2,889 59 Great Leighs 2,709 60 Tollesbury 2,621 61 Thaxted 2,538 62 Great Horkesley 2,476 63 Kelvedon Hatch 2,400 64 Newport 2,352 65 Elsenham 2,272 66 Little Dunmow 2,190 67 Saint Osyth 2,093 68 Rayne 2,018 69 Alresford 2,009 70 Black Notley 1,988 71 Ingrave 1,846 72 Great Yeldham 1,844 73 Hatfield Heath 1,717 74 Mistley 1,696 75 Layer de la Haye 1,656 76 West Horndon 1,650 77 Elmstead Market 1,646 78 Rowhedge 1,626 79 Abridge 1,613 80 Roydon 1,582 81 Stock 1,579 82 Great Bentley 1,545 83 Great Chesterford 1,494 84 Steeple Bumpstead 1,432 85 Thorpe le Soken 1,394 86 Little Hallingbury 1,352 87 Great Bardfield 1,227 88 Latchingdon and Snoreham 1,182 89 High Ongar 1,171 90 Gosfield 1,140 91 Eight Ash Green 1,106 92 Cold Norton 1,099 93 Canewdon 1,072 94 Castle Hedingham 1,063 95 Althorne 1,031 96 Tolleshunt Knights 1,030 97 Dedham 1,014 98 Boxted 1,004 99 Dovercourt 1,001 100 East Hanningfield 977 101 Henham 924 102 Stebbing 923 103 Hatfield Broad Oak 916 104 Ardleigh 912 105 Tillingham 902 106 Sheering 891 107 Clavering 882 108 Great Waltham 847 109 Panfield 841 110 North Fambridge 835 111 Abberton 831 112 Blackmore 829 113 Fyfield 796 114 High Easter 754 115 Great Totham 735 116 Finchingfield 711 117 Great Oakley 702 118 Hastingwood 700 119 Wethersfield 691 120 Ford End 685 121 Manuden 677 122 Goldhanger 654 123 Woodham Mortimer 641 124 Great Tey 620 125 Birchanger 596 126 Littlebury 592 127 Rickling Green 587 128 Great Sampford 586 129 Peldon 559 130 Chrishall 555 131 Ashdon 553 132 Margaretting 527 133 Purleigh 526 134 Ridgewell 509 135 Widdington 504 136 Wix 494 137 Steeple 490 138 High Roding 478 139 Wendens Ambo 473 140 Hempstead 451 141 Rettendon 448 142 Chappel 403 143 Tolleshunt Major 393 144 Roxwell 381 145 Moreton 366 146 Arkesden 366 147 Langley 355 148 West Hanningfield 348 149 Hadstock 332 150 Debden 328 151 Rawreth 304 152 Wicken Bonhunt 223 153 Lamarsh 187
Common questions
What is the largest town in Essex? Basildon, with 144,859 residents on current figures. This page ranks all 153 recorded places in Essex by population, each linking to its own page with sources and, where held, a 2005 comparison.