South Witham’s story
9 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside South Witham’s built-up area.
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
South WithamLincolnshire
In Lincolnshire, East Midlands, this village has 1,590 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mat Fascione · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,590
Census 2021 · South Kesteven council
Median home
£205K
87 sales in 3 years
Median age
41.4
16% are 65+ · Lincolnshire 22%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is South Witham a good place to live?
South Witham’s strongest is cost of living: homes sell for a median £205,000, about 3.9 times local household income. Add health to its strengths — life expectancy is 83.4 for men and 85.6 for women. Schools lag (D−): primary results beat 8% of towns in England. Getting around depends on the car: on the way to work, 7% walk, cycle or take a bus or train.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · life expectancy, ONS · commuting, Census 2021. An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so South Witham is graded subject by subject only.
How South Witham grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far South Witham is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
An overall grade needs 2,500 residents, so South Witham is graded subject by subject only.
Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesA+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 8% of towns in EnglandD−Open →WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carDOpen →Jobs & incomeNear the bottom of the towns comparedC−Open →Hazard risk1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areB+Open →SafetyLess crime than in most townsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryBelow the middle of the towns comparedCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB−Open →Civic life1.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes South Witham stand out
The 3 things South Witham 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%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St John the Baptist; 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 92%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Department for Education.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in South Witham.
HousingCost of living grade A+
Few households rent privately in South Witham: 15%, fewer than in Lincolnshire’s towns and England’s towns
£205Kmedian sale
70% of households are owner-occupiers. The £205,000 median rests on 87 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026). Private rents average £845 a month across the South Kesteven council area.
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
South Witham£205K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £286,250 | 32 |
| Semi-detached | £213,500 | 26 |
| Terraced | £150,000 | 29 |
70%
of households own their home · England 61%
15%
rent privately · England 21%
£845
average private rent a month, South Kesteven council area
£2,259
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
SchoolsD−
On exam results, South Witham’s schools trail 95% of towns in England
D−School Grade
The town has one school, shown below. At the one primary school within 3 km, half of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one primary school teaches 90 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Witham AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 90 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Only 21% of South Witham’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Lincolnshire’s towns or England’s towns
7%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 22% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took just over nine in ten commuters, above Lincolnshire’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Among 16 to 64s, 2.7% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. Households take home £50K a year before tax, on average.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot5%
Bicycle1%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
2.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 6% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Lifespans in South Witham run longer than in 87% of UK towns
83%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
15% of residents in South Witham live with a disability. Seeing a GP means leaving South Witham: the nearest practice is 2.9 miles away. At the census, 83% of people in South Witham called their health good or very good, about level with England’s towns (82%) and above Lincolnshire’s towns (79%). The nearest A&E to South Witham is Peterborough City Hospital, 19.3 miles away.
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | South Witham | Lincolnshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 20% | 17% |
83.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.6
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
South Witham’s listed buildings include the Church of St John the Baptist, Grade I
9listed buildingsCHistory Grade
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 8% of the total, below Lincolnshire’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Listed buildings per head: 57 for every 10,000 residents of South Witham.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II8
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St John the Baptist Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
8%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
57
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Homes in South Witham see less burglary and damage than in Lincolnshire’s towns or England’s towns: 6.5 per 1,000 a year
19.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
59% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 68 offences in South Witham and 11 cases of nuisance behaviour. Violent crime ran at 19.7 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Lincolnshire’s towns (21.4) and England’s towns (22).
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 46% 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 & sexual40
Burglary6
Public order5
Other crime5
Vehicle crime4
Damage & arson3
Other theft3
Shoplifting1
Anti-social11
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.
19.7
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
7.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
68
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.
Who lives here
Few people in South Witham are 65 or over: 16%, below Lincolnshire’s towns and England’s towns
41.4median age
Degrees are held by 27% of adults. Nearly a tenth of the population is aged 15 to 24, below Lincolnshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. The age that splits South Witham in two is 41.4.
South WithamLincolnshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
16%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| South Witham | Lincolnshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 29% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 16% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 25% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lincolnshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Witham
13pages on South Witham
The big questions
SafetyB+19.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA+Median home £205K · rent £845 a monthHousing27 sold in 12 months · busiest street Moor LaneSchoolsD−1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 83.4 (men), 85.6 (women)Work & commuteC−44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
About South Witham
Village in Lincolnshire, England
South Witham is a built-up area of 1,590 people, in the South Kesteven 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
- 1,590 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Kesteven
- County
- Lincolnshire
- Region
- East Midlands
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002312
South Witham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ClipshamColsterworthGreethamCorby GlenLanghamBarleythorpeOakhamSouth Witham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Witham | 1,590 | — | — | A+ | B+ | B+ |
| Clipsham | 1,150 | 2.4 | — | A | A+ | B |
| Colsterworth | 1,296 | 2.8 | — | A− | C− | B+ |
| Greetham | 2,807 | 3.1 | A+ | A− | A+ | A− |
| Corby Glen | 1,006 | 5.7 | — | B+ | C+ | A− |
| Langham | 1,400 | 7.3 | — | B | A+ | B+ |
| Barleythorpe | 1,344 | 7.6 | — | A | A | A− |
| Oakham | 12,159 | 7.8 | A+ | A | B− | A− |
Clipsham, Colsterworth, Corby Glen, Langham and Barleythorpe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about South Witham
Are schools in South Witham good?
One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Lincolnshire council.
How many listed buildings are there in South Witham?
That is 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St John the Baptist.
Does South Witham flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is South Witham expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £205,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £150,000, semi-detached houses £213,500 and detached houses £286,250.
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.