Besthorpe’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Besthorpe’s built-up area.
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BesthorpeNorfolk
51% of households own their home outright. The village, home to 1,007 people, lies in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,007
Census 2021 · Breckland council
Median home
£290K
65 sales in 3 years
Median age
46
24% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Besthorpe a good place to live?
Besthorpe’s best grade is for safety (A+): 7.3 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 2.3 home and vehicle crimes. Health is a strength too: life expectancy 81.8 for men, 84.3 for women. Where it falls short is walkability: just over one in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. A median £289,950 buys a home here, 5.9 times what households in the Breckland council area earn in a year.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy and incomes, ONS · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Besthorpe has subject grades but no overall one.
What makes Besthorpe stand out
The 3 things Besthorpe does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
97%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.
Own outright
Housing
51% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
How Besthorpe grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Besthorpe is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA+Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthIn the top fifth of the towns comparedA−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £52,828B+Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesCOpen →Cost of livingRent £928 a monthC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 13% of towns in England; secondary results beat 77% of towns in EnglandC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors72% live within 400 m of a park; 1.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsDOpen →Civic life44% live within 1 km of a libraryAOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Besthorpe.
Safety
Besthorpe has less crime per resident than 99% of UK towns
There were 1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Besthorpe logged 21 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 3 complaints of anti-social conduct. For its size, Besthorpe records less crime per resident than 97% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 43% of recorded crime.
7.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 97% 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 & sexual9
Other theft5
Drugs3
Damage & arson2
Public order1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Anti-social3
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.
7.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
21
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.
History
Besthorpe’s listed buildings: 2, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
The pre-1919 share of homes is 9%. Besthorpe has 20 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, below Norfolk’s towns (45) and England’s towns (39) alike.
2listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
20
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Besthorpe than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.4% of residents
Seeing a GP means leaving Besthorpe: the nearest practice is 0.7 miles away. At the census, 86% of people in Besthorpe called their health good or very good, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (82%). 15% of residents in Besthorpe live with a disability. The nearest A&E to Besthorpe is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 10.3 miles away.
86%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Besthorpe | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.4% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 20% | 17% |
81.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Fewer commuters in Besthorpe walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 11%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 27% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Among 16 to 64s, 1.8% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. The car took 89% of commuters, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%). 30% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Train2%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
27%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£53K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 31% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
Most households in Besthorpe own their home: 85%, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
Private renters make up 12% of households, below Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. The social rented sector houses 3% of households. Behind the median of £289,950: 65 standard sales inside Besthorpe’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£290Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Besthorpe£290K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £300,000 | 34 |
| Semi-detached | £279,950 | 23 |
| Terraced | £239,975 | 8 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£928
average private rent a month, Breckland council area
£2,423
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Besthorpe has fewer young adults than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 9% are 15 to 24
Half the people of Besthorpe are older than 46. Retirement age and beyond: nearly a quarter of residents are 65 or older. Children under 15 make up 16%, higher than Norfolk’s towns (16%) yet lower than England’s towns (18%). Degrees are held by 28% of adults.
46median age
BesthorpeNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Besthorpe | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 9.4% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 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 Besthorpe
13pages on Besthorpe
The big questions
SafetyA+7.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £290K · rent £928 a monthHousing19 sold in 12 months · busiest street Kestrel RoadSchoolsC+HealthA−Life expectancy 81.8 (men), 84.3 (women)Work & commuteB+46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Besthorpe’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
AttleboroughHinghamWymondhamEast HarlingGristonHethersettLong StrattonBesthorpe
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Besthorpe | 1,007 | — | — | C+ | A+ | A− |
| Attleborough | 11,236 | 1 | C | C+ | B− | C+ |
| Hingham | 2,304 | 4.5 | — | A− | A− | B+ |
| Wymondham | 16,334 | 5.4 | A | A− | C | B+ |
| East Harling | 2,490 | 7.2 | — | C− | A | B |
| Griston | 1,361 | 7.6 | — | C− | C− | C |
| Hethersett | 7,018 | 8.2 | A | B+ | B | B+ |
| Long Stratton | 5,218 | 8.7 | A− | A | B | B+ |
Hingham, East Harling and Griston have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Besthorpe
Does Besthorpe flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Are schools in Besthorpe good?
Secondary schools stand out: GCSE results beat 77% of towns in England. Primary results trail 87%. Places are handled by Norfolk council.
About Besthorpe
Village in Norfolk, England
Besthorpe is a built-up area of 1,007 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
- 1,007 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Breckland
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002773
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.