Thorrington’s story
6 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Thorrington’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ThorringtonEssex
Some 1,427 people live in this village, in Essex, East of England. It skews older: 31% of residents are 65 or over.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger W Haworth · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,427
Census 2021 · Tendring council
Median home
£388K
46 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.1
31% are 65+ · Essex 20%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Thorrington a good place to live?
Police record less crime here than in most towns (A+): police record 10.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 3 home and vehicle crimes. Its weakest is cost of living (D−): homes sell for a median £387,500, about 8.7 times local household income. Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work: 7% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for schools, B− for health, B− for jobs & income and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · flood risk, Environment Agency. Thorrington is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
What makes Thorrington stand out
The 3 things Thorrington 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%)
91%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Thorrington grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Thorrington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Thorrington is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesD−Open →SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA+Open →WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →Jobs & income2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 73% of towns in England; secondary results beat 30% of towns in EnglandB−Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.7 for men, 82.6 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleCOpen →Outdoors65% live within 400 m of a parkC−Open →Civic life4.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thorrington.
Who lives here
Children make up only 13% of Thorrington, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
10% of residents are aged 15 to 24. People 65 and over make up 31% of the town, above Essex’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Thorrington has a median age of 52.1. Graduates make up just over a fifth of adults.
52.1median age
ThorringtonEssexEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications23%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level22%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Thorrington | Essex | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 20% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.8% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Essex and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
HousingCost of living grade D−
Few households rent privately in Thorrington: 7%, fewer than in Essex’s towns and across England’s towns
3% live in social housing, below Essex’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Home ownership stands at nine in ten households. Private rents average £1,053 a month across the Tendring council area.
£388Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Thorrington£388K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £414,000 | 28 |
| Semi-detached | £275,000 | 15 |
90%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,053
average private rent a month, Tendring council area
£2,331
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 Thorrington than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 3 per 1,000 residents a year
For its size, Thorrington records less crime per resident than 91% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 32 offences in Thorrington and 4 cases of nuisance behaviour. Violence and sexual offences made up nearly three fifths of the total. Also worth knowing: there were 1.2 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Essex’s towns (4.6) and England’s towns (7.8).
10.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 91% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual19
Vehicle crime6
Other theft2
Other crime2
Damage & arson1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social4
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.
10.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
32
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Thorrington is a driving town: 91% of commuters go by car, above Essex’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Average household income comes to £57K a year before tax. Nearly a fifth of commuters travelled under 5 km, below both Essex’s towns (41%) and England’s towns (45%). Jobs per working resident: 0.9. About 4% of its commuters stay in Thorrington for work.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot3%
Bus2%
Train2%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
£57K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 7% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Thorrington Tide Mill and Attached Dam Wall to North West (Grade II*) heads Thorrington’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.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, close to Essex’s towns (11%) and below England’s towns (16%). Relative to its size, Thorrington keeps 42 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, below Essex’s towns (52) but above England’s towns (39).
6listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II5
Among them · Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
42
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
More people in Thorrington say their health is bad than in Essex’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.2%
Disability touches a fifth of Thorrington’s population. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 1.5 miles off. The nearest A&E to Thorrington is Colchester General Hospital, 7.6 miles away.
81%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Thorrington | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 83% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
80.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Thorrington Tide Mill and 5 more in and around Thorrington
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Thorrington. Best known first.
AttractionAttractionThorrington Tide Millin town
GardenBeth Chatto Gardens3.6 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumEast Essex Aviation Society and Museum (Martello Tower A)3.4 km outside town, to the southTheme parkTheme parkWyvernwood1 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumBrightlingsea Museum2.5 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumSt Osyth Museum4.8 km outside town, to the southeast
GardenBeth Chatto Gardens3.6 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumEast Essex Aviation Society and Museum (Martello Tower A)3.4 km outside town, to the southTheme parkTheme parkWyvernwood1 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumBrightlingsea Museum2.5 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumSt Osyth Museum4.8 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Beth Chatto Gardens: Grahamec, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- East Essex Aviation Society and Museum (Martello Tower A): Oxyman, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thorrington
14pages on Thorrington
The big questions
SafetyA+10.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingD−Median home £388K · rent £1,053 a monthHousing17 sold in 12 months · busiest street Clacton RoadSchoolsB−HealthB−Life expectancy 80.7 (men), 82.6 (women)Work & commuteB−55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Thorrington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Great BentleyAlresfordBrightlingseaSt OsythPoint ClearElmstead MarketWivenhoeThorrington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorrington | 1,427 | — | — | D− | A+ | B− |
| Great Bentley | 1,746 | 1.6 | — | D− | C+ | B− |
| Alresford | 2,462 | 1.8 | — | D− | B+ | B− |
| Brightlingsea | 8,678 | 1.9 | C− | D | B− | C+ |
| St Osyth | 2,249 | 3.3 | — | D | C | D |
| Point Clear | 1,707 | 3.3 | — | D− | D | C |
| Elmstead Market | 1,767 | 3.4 | — | D− | C | B |
| Wivenhoe | 7,354 | 3.5 | A | B+ | B+ | A |
Great Bentley, Alresford, St Osyth, Point Clear and Elmstead Market have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Thorrington
Is Thorrington expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £387,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £275,000 and detached houses £414,000.
About Thorrington
Village in Essex, England
Thorrington is a built-up area of 1,427 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
- 1,427 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Tendring
- County
- Essex
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63004209
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.