Willoughby’s story
4 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Willoughby’s built-up area.
39% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WilloughbyLincolnshire
A village of 363 in Lincolnshire, East Midlands.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Richard Hoare · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
363
Census 2021 · East Lindsey council
Median age
58.1
37% are 65+ · Lincolnshire 22%
Degree level
20%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Willoughby a good place to live?
Willoughby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 6% of commuters. 4 buildings are listed here, 1 at Grade I. 37% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Willoughby stand out
The 3 things Willoughby does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% 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 Helen; 4.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
37% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Willoughby.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Willoughby than in Lincolnshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 20% of adults
The 15-to-24 age group: 7%, below Lincolnshire’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Children under 15 count for 14% of the people here. Half of Willoughby is older than 58.1, half younger.
58.1median age
WilloughbyLincolnshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
37%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications27%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level20%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Willoughby | Lincolnshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 12% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 22% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 27% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.7% | 6.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 20% | 25% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Lincolnshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Willoughby
At the one primary school within 3 km, two thirds of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). There is one school here; it is shown below. Its one primary school teaches 145 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Helena's Church of England Primary Academy, WilloughbyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 145 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Willoughby: just 26% travel under 5 km, below Lincolnshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 16% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £36K a year before tax, lower than both Lincolnshire’s towns (£48K) and England’s towns (£55K). At the census, just over nine in ten commuters went by car. Of the commuters living in Willoughby, 4% work in the town itself. The census counted 16% of workers working mainly from home.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot4%
Bus2%
26%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
16%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£36K
mean household income, before tax
3.4%
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
Willoughby’s median sale price: £0
Just over two thirds of households own their home, close to Lincolnshire’s towns (65%) and above England’s towns (61%). Social renters account for 14% of households. Private rents average £704 a month across the East Lindsey council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Willoughby£0K
Typical UK town£277K
68%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£704
average private rent a month, East Lindsey council area
£2,222
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 Willoughby than in Lincolnshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.6 per 1,000 residents a year
19 crimes and 2 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Willoughby’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences were just over two thirds of the crimes. Per 1,000 residents, 24.8 violent crimes are recorded each year.
24.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual13
Other theft3
Public order1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Drugs0
Anti-social2
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.
24.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
19
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
Only 70% of people in Willoughby say their health is good or very good, fewer than in both Lincolnshire’s towns and England’s towns
Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 8% of the town. At the census, 28% of people here had a disability, above Lincolnshire’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Willoughby has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.7 miles away.
70%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 70%Fair 22%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Willoughby | Lincolnshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 70% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 28% | 20% | 17% |
78.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
80.6
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.
History
Old homes shape Willoughby: 39% were built before 1919, more than in both Lincolnshire’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Willoughby has 110 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. The town’s listed buildings include the Church of St Helen, Grade I.
4listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II3
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Helen Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
39%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
110
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Gunby Hall and 2 more in and around Willoughby
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Willoughby. Best known first.
Historic houseGunby Hall4.7 km outside town, to the south
MuseumAlford Manor House4.1 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionAlford Windmill4.5 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Gunby Hall: Bob Cantwell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alford Manor House: Richard Croft, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Willoughby
12pages on Willoughby
The big questions
Willoughby’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
AlfordBurgh le MarshChapel St LeonardsSpilsbyIngoldmellsSutton on Sea and TrusthorpeSkegnessWilloughby
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willoughby | 363 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alford | 3,831 | 2.5 | C | B− | C | C− |
| Burgh le Marsh | 2,159 | 4.8 | — | C+ | A− | C− |
| Chapel St Leonards | 3,435 | 5.5 | D− | B− | D− | D− |
| Spilsby | 3,671 | 5.7 | D | B− | C− | C− |
| Ingoldmells | 1,928 | 6.2 | — | B− | D− | D− |
| Sutton on Sea and Trusthorpe | 5,042 | 6.8 | D− | C− | B− | D |
| Skegness | 20,701 | 7.7 | D− | B− | D− | D− |
Burgh le Marsh and Ingoldmells have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Willoughby
How many listed buildings are there in Willoughby?
That is 4.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Helen.
How much is council tax in Willoughby?
Band D council tax in Willoughby is £2,222 for 2026–27, less than in 81% 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 Willoughby
Village in Lincolnshire, England
Willoughby is a built-up area of 363 people, in the East Lindsey 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
- 363 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Lindsey
- County
- Lincolnshire
- Region
- East Midlands
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001613
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.