Wicken’s story
22 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Wicken’s built-up area.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WickenCambridgeshire
745 people live in this village in Cambridgeshire, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: G Laird · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
745
Census 2021 · East Cambridgeshire council
Median home
£432K
43 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.2
19% are 65+ · Cambridgeshire 17%
Degree level
38%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Wicken a good place to live?
With fewer than 1,000 residents, Wicken is too small for fair grades, though the figures on this page are real. 5% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 22 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. The median home sold for £432,000.
What makes Wicken stand out
The 3 things Wicken does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% 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 Windmill; 12.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.6 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wicken.
Work & commute
Only 17% of Wicken’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Cambridgeshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 37% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Just over nine in ten commuters drove, above both Cambridgeshire’s towns (72%) and England’s towns (70%). Income per household averages £54K a year, before tax. Of the commuters living in Wicken, 2% work in the town itself. For every resident in work, Wicken has 0.3 jobs.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot3%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
37%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
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
Wicken is a town of owners: 74% of households own their home, above Cambridgeshire’s towns and England’s towns
14% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up just over one in ten households, below both Cambridgeshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). That is the middle of 43 standard sales inside Wicken’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£432Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Wicken£432K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £484,950 | 29 |
| Semi-detached | £308,250 | 12 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,038
average private rent a month, East Cambridgeshire council area
£2,478
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 Wicken: 10.3 per 1,000 residents a year, under Cambridgeshire’s towns and England’s towns
Over the year to August 2026, 18 offences were reported in Wicken, along with 6 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Of all the crimes, 22% were violence and sexual offences. There were 5.8 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Cambridgeshire’s towns (9) and England’s towns (7.8).
10.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Vehicle crime5
Violence & sexual4
Burglary4
Public order2
Drugs2
Damage & arson1
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.
10.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
18
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
87% of people in Wicken say their health is good or very good, more than in Cambridgeshire’s towns and across England’s towns
Wicken has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.4 miles away. At the census, 3% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below both Cambridgeshire’s towns (4.4%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Disability touches 15% of the town’s population. The nearest A&E to Wicken is Addenbrooke's and the Rosie Hospitals, 11.7 miles away.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Wicken | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 84% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
79.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Wicken is rich in listed buildings: 295 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 22% of the total, above both Cambridgeshire’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (16%). Grade II* covers 1 of them.
22listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II21
Among them · Grade II*
- Windmill Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
22%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
295
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Wicken has fewer young adults than Cambridgeshire’s towns or England’s towns: 9.1% are 15 to 24
Degrees are held by 38% of adults. The age that splits Wicken in two is 46.2. 19% of residents have reached 65.
46.2median age
WickenCambridgeshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
19%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Wicken | Cambridgeshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.1% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 28% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.2% | 5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 16% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 37% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cambridgeshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →1930s fen dwelling and 4 more in and around Wicken
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Wicken. Best known first.
MuseumMuseum1930s fen dwellingin town
MuseumBurwell Museum4.4 km outside town, to the southeastPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustWicken Fen300 m outside town, to the southwestZooZooSouth Angle Farm Park1.9 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumStretham Old Engine2 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumBurwell Museum4.4 km outside town, to the southeastPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustWicken Fen300 m outside town, to the southwestZooZooSouth Angle Farm Park1.9 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumStretham Old Engine2 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Burwell Museum: Senra, John McCullough, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wicken
13pages on Wicken
The big questions
Safety10.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £432K · rent £1,038 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street High StreetSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 79.4 (men), 83.6 (women)Work & commute58% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.6% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Wicken’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SohamBurwellFordhamStrethamExningIslehamWaterbeachWicken
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wicken | 745 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Soham | 10,609 | 2.2 | B+ | A | B− | C+ |
| Burwell | 5,912 | 2.8 | A+ | B+ | B+ | A |
| Fordham | 2,566 | 3.9 | B+ | B+ | B− | B |
| Stretham | 2,070 | 4 | — | B+ | B+ | B+ |
| Exning | 2,049 | 4.4 | — | D | C | B |
| Isleham | 2,287 | 5.3 | — | B+ | B+ | B+ |
| Waterbeach | 5,375 | 5.3 | A− | A− | C+ | B |
Stretham, Exning and Isleham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Wicken
How many listed buildings are there in Wicken?
That is 12.1 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Wicken expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £308,250 and detached houses £484,950. Private rents in the East Cambridgeshire council area averaged £1,038 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Wicken?
Band D council tax in Wicken is £2,478 for 2026–27, more than in 59% 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 Wicken
Village in Cambridgeshire, England
Wicken is a built-up area of 745 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
- 745 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Cambridgeshire
- County
- Cambridgeshire
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi (1.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003137
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.