Swaffham Bulbeck’s story
22 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Swaffham Bulbeck’s built-up area.
26% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Swaffham BulbeckCambridgeshire
In Cambridgeshire, East of England, this village has 261 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Sutton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
261
Census 2021 · East Cambridgeshire council
Median age
51.4
33% are 65+ · Cambridgeshire 17%
Degree level
40%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
18%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Swaffham Bulbeck a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Swaffham Bulbeck is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. It has 22 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. Over-65s are a third of the population. Just over a quarter of its homes date from before 1919.
What makes Swaffham Bulbeck stand out
The 3 things Swaffham Bulbeck does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Mary the Virgin; 34.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Swaffham Bulbeck.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Swaffham Bulbeck: 33% are 65 or over, above Cambridgeshire’s towns and England’s towns
The under-15s are nearly a fifth of the population here. The 15-to-24 age group: 6.6%, below both Cambridgeshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). Line up the people of Swaffham Bulbeck by age and the one in the middle is 51.4. Graduates make up 40% of adults.
51.4median age
Swaffham BulbeckCambridgeshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar11%
Degree level40%
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
About 81 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Swaffham Bulbeck | Cambridgeshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.6% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 28% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 23% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 9.2% | 5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 11% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 40% | 37% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cambridgeshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Swaffham Bulbeck
GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 53% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 50.7. There is one school here; it is shown below. 68% of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swaffham Bulbeck Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 77 | B+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 18% in Swaffham Bulbeck, fewer than in both Cambridgeshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 35% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 3%. The car took 78% of commuters, higher than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (72%) and England’s towns (70%). The average household earns £71K a year before tax. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters.
18%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving78%
On foot9%
Bicycle7%
Bus1%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
35%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£71K
mean household income, before tax
3%
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 Swaffham Bulbeck: 6%, fewer than in both Cambridgeshire’s towns and England’s towns
Households that own their home make up 50%. 40% live in social housing, above Cambridgeshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private rents average £1,038 a month across the East Cambridgeshire council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Swaffham Bulbeck£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £330,000 | 5 |
50%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,038
average private rent a month, East Cambridgeshire council area
£2,481
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
Swaffham Bulbeck records more burglary and damage per resident than Cambridgeshire’s towns or England’s towns, at 14.1 per 1,000 a year
Violence came to 31.9 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (19.2) and England’s towns (22). A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 9 offences in Swaffham Bulbeck and 3 cases of nuisance behaviour. 33% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
31.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Damage & arson4
Violence & sexual3
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Anti-social3
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.
31.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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 Swaffham Bulbeck say their health is good than in Cambridgeshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 77%
At the census, 6.5% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. 20% of residents have a disability, above both Cambridgeshire’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (17%). There is no GP practice in Swaffham Bulbeck: the nearest is 1.1 miles off.
77%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Swaffham Bulbeck | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.5% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
80.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
Swaffham Bulbeck is rich in listed buildings: 843 per 10,000 residents, more than in both Cambridgeshire’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them. Swaffham Bulbeck’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Grade I.
22listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II20
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary the Virgin Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
26%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
843
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Anglesey Abbey and 2 more in and around Swaffham Bulbeck
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Swaffham Bulbeck. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · National TrustAnglesey Abbey2.3 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttraction · National TrustLode water mill2.3 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumBottisham Airfield Museum1.8 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Anglesey Abbey: Wehha, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Swaffham Bulbeck
12pages on Swaffham Bulbeck
The big questions
Swaffham Bulbeck’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BottishamBurwellWaterbeachExningFulbournMiltonNewmarketSwaffham Bulbeck
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swaffham Bulbeck | 261 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bottisham | 1,990 | 1.1 | — | B− | A− | B |
| Burwell | 5,912 | 3.5 | A+ | B+ | B+ | A |
| Waterbeach | 5,375 | 4.2 | A− | A− | C+ | B |
| Exning | 2,049 | 4.3 | — | D | C | B |
| Fulbourn | 3,737 | 4.6 | A | B− | B | B |
| Milton | 4,150 | 5 | A+ | B+ | B | A+ |
| Newmarket | 18,857 | 5.5 | B− | B− | C− | B− |
Bottisham and Exning have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Swaffham Bulbeck
How many listed buildings are there in Swaffham Bulbeck?
That is 34.6 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary the Virgin.
How much is council tax in Swaffham Bulbeck?
Band D council tax in Swaffham Bulbeck is £2,481 for 2026–27, more than in 60% 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 Swaffham Bulbeck
Village in Cambridgeshire, England
Swaffham Bulbeck is a built-up area of 261 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
- 261 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Cambridgeshire
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003361
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.