Great Oakley’s story
11 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Great Oakley’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Great OakleyEssex
A village in Essex, East of England, home to 709 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Edwards · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
709
Census 2021 · Tendring council
Median home
£284K
25 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.9
27% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Great Oakley a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Great Oakley has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry nearly one in ten commuters. 11 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. Mortgage-free owners make up 52% of households.
What makes Great Oakley stand out
The 3 things Great Oakley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 6.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Own outright
Housing
52% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Great Oakley.
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Great Oakley: 12% commute under 5 km, below Essex’s towns and England’s towns
9%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 26% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
A household here earns £50K a year before tax, on average. The car took nearly nine in ten commuters, higher than both Essex’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). 1.6% of people aged 16 to 64 were on unemployment benefits in 2026.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot5%
Bicycle3%
Bus2%
12%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
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
Schools
The schools around Great Oakley
At the 2 primary schools within 3 km, 63% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below. 100 pupils attend Great Oakley’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Great OakleyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 100 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Great Oakley is a town of owners: 89% of households own their home, above Essex’s towns and England’s towns
£284Kmedian sale
The median sale price was £284K, below Essex’s towns (£400K) and England’s towns (£308K) alike. 3% of households live in social housing. Private tenants account for 7% of households.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Great Oakley£284K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £305,000 | 12 |
| Terraced | £195,000 | 9 |
89%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,053
average private rent a month, Tendring council area
£2,298
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
Burglary and damage are rarer in Great Oakley than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.1 per 1,000 residents a year
18.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Violence came to 18.8 per 1,000 residents a year, below Essex’s towns (23) and England’s towns (22) alike. Reported offences in Great Oakley came to 28 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 1.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual14
Damage & arson3
Public order3
Other theft3
Vehicle crime3
Burglary1
Bicycle theft1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social1
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.
18.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
28
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
More people in Great Oakley live with a disability than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 22%
77%good or very good health
At the census, 77% of people in Great Oakley called their health good or very good, below both Essex’s towns (83%) and England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Great Oakley is Ipswich Hospital, 10.4 miles away. One GP practice serves the town; 80% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Great Oakley | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 17% | 17% |
79.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Great Oakley: 23% were built before 1919, more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
11listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Scaled to its population, Great Oakley has 155 listed buildings per 10,000 people, above both Essex’s towns (52) and England’s towns (39). Conservation areas cover 16% of the town’s land, higher than both Essex’s towns (3%) and England’s towns (7%).
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II11
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
155
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
An older town: 27% of people in Great Oakley are 65 or over, more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
48.9median age
Children are 15% of the town. Great Oakley has a median age of 48.9. Those aged 15 to 24 account for 10% of residents. 28% of adults hold a degree, about level with Essex’s towns (27%) and below England’s towns (34%).
Great OakleyEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Great Oakley | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Great Oakley
12pages on Great Oakley
The big questions
Safety18.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £284K · rent £1,053 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street High StreetSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 79.4 (men), 83.3 (women)Work & commute49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
About Great Oakley
Village in Essex, England
Great Oakley is a built-up area of 709 people, in the Tendring 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
- 709 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Tendring
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004064
Great Oakley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HarwichThorpe-le-SokenBradfieldKirby-le-SokenKirby CrossShotley GateWeeleyGreat Oakley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Oakley | 709 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harwich | 20,219 | 3.3 | D− | D | D | C− |
| Thorpe-le-Soken | 1,590 | 3.6 | — | D− | C | C+ |
| Bradfield | 1,254 | 4.1 | — | D− | A+ | B |
| Kirby-le-Soken | 1,207 | 4.1 | — | D− | C | C+ |
| Kirby Cross | 6,036 | 4.7 | C | D− | A− | C+ |
| Shotley Gate | 1,418 | 4.7 | — | A− | A | A− |
| Weeley | 1,285 | 4.8 | — | D− | C+ | C |
Thorpe-le-Soken, Bradfield, Kirby-le-Soken, Shotley Gate and Weeley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Great Oakley
How many listed buildings are there in Great Oakley?
That is 6.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Great Oakley?
Band D council tax in Great Oakley is £2,298 for 2026–27, less than in 75% 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.
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.