Little Clacton’s story
7 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Little Clacton’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Little ClactonEssex
A village in Essex, East of England, home to 2,458 people. It skews older: 33% of residents are 65 or over.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Edwards · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,458
Census 2021 · Tendring council
Median home
£308K
103 sales in 3 years
Median age
54
33% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
17%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Little Clacton a good place to live?
Little Clacton’s strongest subject is safety: police record 21 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 6.5 home and vehicle crimes. Homes are dear: a typical home costs £307,500 and rent runs £1,053 a month. Schools lag: primary results beat 8% of towns in England; secondary results beat 1% of towns in England. Walkability is weaker too (C−) — on the way to work, 9% walk, cycle or take a bus or train.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Little Clacton has subject grades but no overall one.
What makes Little Clacton stand out
The 3 things Little Clacton 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%)
45% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Essex 27%.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Little Clacton grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Little Clacton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingMedian sale £307,500, 6.9 years of area incomeD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 8% of towns in England; secondary results beat 1% of towns in EnglandD−Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carC−Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsC−Open →HealthBehind most towns comparedC+Open →Hazard risk0.7% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC+Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryLess recorded history than most townsCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 3.6 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsA−Open →Civic life2.4 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Little Clacton.
Who lives here
Fewer people in Little Clacton hold a degree than in Essex’s towns or England’s towns: 17%
Under 15: 14% of residents. People 65 and over make up a third of the town, above Essex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Aged 15 to 24: 8.7% of residents. The median resident of Little Clacton is 54 years old.
54median age
Little ClactonEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications28%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level17%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Little Clacton | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 28% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.4% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 17% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsD−
School results in Little Clacton are weaker than in 97% of towns in England
At the 9 primary schools within 3 km, 50% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its only school is listed below. Attainment 8 at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km averages 33.8, and just over a fifth of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths.
D−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engaines Primary School and NurseryLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 324 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D−
Little Clacton is a town of owners: 88% of households own their home, above Essex’s towns and England’s towns
Private tenants account for 10% of households. 1% live in social housing, lower than both Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). 103 standard sales inside Little Clacton’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £307,500.
£308Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Little Clacton£308K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £367,000 | 61 |
| Semi-detached | £275,000 | 39 |
88%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,053
average private rent a month, Tendring council area
£2,300
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
The car carries 88% of commuters in Little Clacton, more than in both Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
About 6% of its commuters stay in Little Clacton for work. Working from home was the norm for 24% of workers at the census. Household income came to £45K a year before tax, below Essex’s towns (£63K) and England’s towns (£55K) alike. Among 16 to 64s, 3.2% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
Bus1%
45%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£45K
mean household income, before tax
3.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 16% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
The Church of St James (Grade II*) heads Little Clacton’s short list of listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Little Clacton has 28 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. The pre-1919 share of homes is 11%.
7listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II6
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St James Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
28
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Little Clacton say their health is good than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 78%
21% of residents have a disability, higher than both Essex’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (17%). Little Clacton has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.2 miles away. Life expectancy here is 82.2 for women and 78.5 for men (2019–23). The nearest A&E to Little Clacton is Colchester General Hospital, 11.7 miles away.
78%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Little Clacton | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
78.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Crime per resident in Little Clacton is lower than in 62% of UK towns
Police figures for Little Clacton’s built-up area: 97 crimes and 14 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Three fifths of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Little Clacton has more crime per resident than 59% of them.
21violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 41% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual58
Damage & arson9
Vehicle crime9
Other theft7
Shoplifting3
Public order3
Other crime3
Drugs2
Anti-social14
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.
21
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
97
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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Clacton Pier and 4 more in and around Little Clacton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Little Clacton. Best known first.
PierClacton Pier3.7 km outside town, to the southTheme parkTheme parkPavilion Fun Park3.5 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionHasty's Adventure Farm Park3.9 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumSt Osyth Museum4.3 km outside town, to the southwestTheme parkTheme parkThe Pavilion Waterpark3.5 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)
- Clacton Pier: Rwendland, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Little Clacton
14pages on Little Clacton
The big questions
SafetyB21 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingD−Median home £308K · rent £1,053 a monthHousing36 sold in 12 months · busiest street Leys DriveSchoolsD−1 state schoolHealthC+Life expectancy 78.5 (men), 82.2 (women)Work & commuteC−51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+0.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Little Clacton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Clacton-on-SeaWeeleyThorpe-le-SokenSt OsythJaywickGreat BentleyKirby CrossLittle Clacton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Clacton | 2,458 | — | — | D− | B | C+ |
| Clacton-on-Sea | 53,190 | 2 | D− | D | D− | D |
| Weeley | 1,285 | 2.1 | — | D− | C+ | C |
| Thorpe-le-Soken | 1,590 | 2.3 | — | D− | C | C+ |
| St Osyth | 2,249 | 3.2 | — | D | C | D |
| Jaywick | 5,080 | 3.5 | D− | C+ | D− | D− |
| Great Bentley | 1,746 | 3.7 | — | D− | C+ | B− |
| Kirby Cross | 6,036 | 4.1 | C | D− | A− | C+ |
Weeley, Thorpe-le-Soken, St Osyth and Great Bentley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Little Clacton
Are schools in Little Clacton good?
GCSE results trail 99% of towns in England, and primary results trail 92% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Essex council.
How much is council tax in Little Clacton?
Band D council tax in Little Clacton is £2,300 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.
About Little Clacton
Village in Essex, England
Little Clacton is a built-up area of 2,458 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
- 2,458 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Tendring
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004237
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.