Beeston’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Beeston’s built-up area.
35% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BeestonNorfolk
A village of 248 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Zorba the Geek · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
248
Census 2021 · Breckland council
Median age
52.2
23% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Beeston a good place to live?
Beeston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Beeston stand out
The 3 things Beeston does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Own outright
Housing
56% 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 Beeston.
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Beeston than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 8%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
38% of workers did their job mainly from home at the census. The car took 90% of commuters, above both Norfolk’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%). Also worth knowing: the 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.8%.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
Bus4%
On foot3%
Bicycle1%
8%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
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 Beeston
Its one school is below. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 35% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 44.1. Key Stage 2 results at the 2 primary schools within 3 km: just over three in five pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beeston Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 91 | B+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
More households own their home in Beeston than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 86%
5% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 9% of households, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). That is the middle of 3 standard sales inside Beeston’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Beeston£0K
Typical UK town£277K
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£928
average private rent a month, Breckland council area
£2,368
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
Beeston records more burglary and damage per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 21.5 per 1,000 a year
Police figures for Beeston’s built-up area: 18 crimes and 4 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence came to 26.9 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Norfolk’s towns (18.9) and England’s towns (22).
26.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Public order6
Violence & sexual5
Damage & arson3
Other theft2
Drugs1
Bicycle theft1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
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.
26.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
21.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
18.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
18
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
Disability is less common in Beeston, 15% of residents, than in Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
Self-reported good health: 83% of Beeston’s residents. There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 1.9 miles off. The nearest A&E to Beeston is The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 16.3 miles away.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Beeston | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.8% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 20% | 17% |
81.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Beeston: 35% were built before 1919, more than in both Norfolk’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.
Every one of Beeston’s 1 listed building sits at Grade II, the most common listing. The town has 40 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, in line with Norfolk’s towns (44) and England’s towns (39).
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
35%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
40
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
Children make up only 14% of Beeston, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
Degrees are held by 28% of adults. 23% of residents are 65 or over, close to Norfolk’s towns (24%) and above England’s towns (18%). Half the people of Beeston are older than 52.2.
52.2median age
BeestonNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship10%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 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.
| Beeston | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 38% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 9.6% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Beeston
11pages on Beeston
The big questions
Beeston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
NectonDerehamNorth ElmhamShipdhamSwanton MorleyAshillSwaffhamBeeston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beeston | 248 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Necton | 1,742 | 4.4 | — | C+ | A | B− |
| Dereham | 20,788 | 5.3 | C− | B− | C− | C+ |
| North Elmham | 1,172 | 5.7 | — | C | A | B |
| Shipdham | 2,459 | 6 | — | C+ | A− | B− |
| Swanton Morley | 2,175 | 6.7 | — | C+ | A− | B |
| Ashill | 1,252 | 6.9 | — | C+ | B | B− |
| Swaffham | 8,434 | 7.1 | D | C+ | C | C− |
Necton, North Elmham, Shipdham, Swanton Morley and Ashill have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Beeston
How many listed buildings are there in Beeston?
1 on Historic England’s list. That is 1.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Beeston?
Band D council tax in Beeston is £2,368 for 2026–27, less than in 64% 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 Beeston
Village in Norfolk, England
Beeston is a built-up area of 248 people, in the Breckland 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
- 248 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Breckland
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002392
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.