Mepal’s story
10 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Mepal’s built-up area.
10% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MepalCambridgeshire
977 people live in this village in Cambridgeshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: James · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
977
Census 2021 · East Cambridgeshire council
Median home
£320K
20 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.4
27% are 65+ · Cambridgeshire 17%
Degree level
26%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Mepal a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Mepal has no grades; its figures are still real. 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 10 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. 27% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Mepal stand out
The 3 things Mepal does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Mary; 4.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
27% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Mepal.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Mepal than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 26% of adults
People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.4% of the town, lower than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). Half the people of Mepal are older than 49.4.
49.4median age
MepalCambridgeshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level26%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Mepal | Cambridgeshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 28% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.4% | 5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 26% | 37% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cambridgeshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Mepal
The town has one school, shown below. 55% of pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 114 pupils attend Mepal’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mepal and Witcham Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 114 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 13% in Mepal, fewer than in Cambridgeshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 30% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
By car: that was how 92% of commuters travelled at the census. Unemployment benefit claims came to 2.7% of 16 to 64s in 2026, above both Cambridgeshire’s towns (2.1%) and England’s towns (2.3%). The average household earns £61K a year before tax.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot5%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
13%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
30%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£61K
mean household income, before tax
2.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Few households rent privately in Mepal: 6%, fewer than in Cambridgeshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Owners make up four in five households, higher than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (61%) and England’s towns (61%). 14% of households rent from a council or housing body. Private rents average £1,038 a month across the East Cambridgeshire council area.
£320Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Mepal£320K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £372,500 | 10 |
| Semi-detached | £245,000 | 7 |
80%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,038
average private rent a month, East Cambridgeshire council area
£2,530
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Violent crime runs low in Mepal: 11.6 per 1,000 residents a year, under Cambridgeshire’s towns and England’s towns
There were 3.8 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (9) and England’s towns (7.8). Mepal logged 21 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 6 complaints of anti-social conduct. Violence and sexual offences were 48% of the crimes.
11.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual10
Damage & arson7
Public order1
Burglary1
Weapons1
Theft from person1
Shoplifting0
Other theft0
Anti-social6
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
11.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
21
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Fewer people in Mepal say their health is good than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 80%
The nearest A&E to Mepal is Hinchingbrooke Hospital, 14.5 miles away. 5.8% of residents report bad or very bad health. Add to that, at the census, 19% of people here had a disability, above Cambridgeshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Seeing a GP means leaving Mepal: the nearest practice is 1.1 miles away.
80%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Mepal | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
82.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Mepal is rich in listed buildings: 102 per 10,000 residents, more than in Cambridgeshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 10% of the total, below Cambridgeshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Grade II* covers 1 of them.
10listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II9
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
10%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
102
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mepal
12pages on Mepal
The big questions
Safety11.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £320K · rent £1,038 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.1 (men), 83.9 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards3.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Mepal’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SuttonHaddenhamWitchfordChatterisEarithSomershamLittle DownhamMepal
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mepal | 977 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sutton | 3,880 | 1.1 | B+ | A | B+ | B+ |
| Haddenham | 3,050 | 3.5 | B+ | A− | B+ | B+ |
| Witchford | 2,386 | 3.7 | — | A− | C+ | B+ |
| Chatteris | 11,022 | 4.6 | D | C+ | B− | C |
| Earith | 1,656 | 5 | — | A | B+ | A− |
| Somersham | 3,349 | 5.2 | A | A | B+ | A− |
| Little Downham | 1,234 | 5.4 | — | A | A | B+ |
Witchford, Earith and Little Downham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Mepal
How many listed buildings are there in Mepal?
That is 4.2 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Mepal?
Band D council tax in Mepal is £2,530 for 2026–27, more than in 71% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Mepal
Village in Cambridgeshire, England
Mepal is a built-up area of 977 people, in the East Cambridgeshire council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 977 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Cambridgeshire
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002985
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.