Butcher's Common’s story
5 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Butcher's Common’s built-up area.
21% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Butcher's CommonNorfolk
This village in Norfolk, East of England has a population of 283.
Population
283
Census 2021 · North Norfolk council
Median age
59.6
39% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Butcher's Common a good place to live?
Butcher's Common has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. 5 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. People aged 65 and over make up nearly two in five residents. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 13% of commuters.
What makes Butcher's Common stand out
The 3 things Butcher's Common does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 7.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
39% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
13% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Butcher's Common.
Who lives here
Children make up only 9% of Butcher's Common, fewer than in Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
41% of adults hold a degree. People 65 and over make up 39% of the town, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 6.1% of the population. Butcher's Common has a median age of 59.6.
59.6median age
Butcher's CommonNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
39%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 89 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.
| Butcher's Common | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 11% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 35% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 39% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.6% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Butcher's Common work nearby than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 14% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
There are 0.5 jobs in Butcher's Common for each resident in work. The car took 77% of commuters, near Norfolk’s towns (77%) and higher than England’s towns (70%). The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.6%. About 3% of its commuters stay in Butcher's Common for work.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving77%
On foot7%
Bicycle4%
Train1%
Underground, tram1%
14%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£44K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
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
Most households in Butcher's Common own their home: 83%, more than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns
Council and housing-body homes hold 1% of households. 17% rent privately, below both Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Private rents average £865 a month across the North Norfolk council area.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Butcher's Common£0K
Typical UK town£277K
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£865
average private rent a month, North Norfolk council area
£2,424
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
Butcher's Common records less violent crime per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 3.5 per 1,000 a year
Burglary and damage came to 2.4 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (6.1) and England’s towns (9.4). A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 3 offences in Butcher's Common and 2 cases of nuisance behaviour. Violence and sexual offences accounted for two thirds of recorded crime.
3.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual2
Damage & arson1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
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.
3.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
3
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
Bad health is less common in Butcher's Common than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.9% of residents
At the census, 84% of people in Butcher's Common called their health good or very good, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (82%). There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 2.2 miles off. The nearest A&E to Butcher's Common is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 12.9 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Butcher's Common | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.9% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 20% | 17% |
80
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.5
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
Butcher's Common is rich in listed buildings: 177 per 10,000 residents, more than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
21% of its homes were built before 1919, above Norfolk’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (16%) alike.
5listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
21%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
177
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 →Bure Valley Railway and 6 more in and around Butcher's Common
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Butcher's Common. Best known first.
Heritage railwayBure Valley Railway3.7 km outside town, to the west
MuseumRAF Air Defence Radar Museum1.1 km outside town, to the south
Historic houseHoveton Hall2.1 km outside town, to the westTheme parkTheme parkBeWilderwood Norwich1.9 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric shipHistoric shipWherry Hathor2.2 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumBarton House Railway4.1 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Bure Valley Railway: Northmetpit 14:56, 12 January 2008 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- RAF Air Defence Radar Museum: Evelyn Simak, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hoveton Hall: GaryReggae, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Butcher's Common
12pages on Butcher's Common
The big questions
Butcher's Common’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Hoveton and WroxhamSuttonStalhamSalhouseColtishall and HorsteadBlofield HeathRackheathButcher's Common
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butcher's Common | 283 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hoveton and Wroxham | 3,620 | 2.6 | C− | D− | B− | B− |
| Sutton | 1,026 | 3.5 | — | C+ | A | C+ |
| Stalham | 3,383 | 3.6 | C+ | C | C+ | C+ |
| Salhouse | 1,431 | 4.3 | — | B | A+ | B+ |
| Coltishall and Horstead | 2,255 | 4.6 | — | B+ | A | A− |
| Blofield Heath | 1,430 | 5.4 | — | B− | A | B+ |
| Rackheath | 1,761 | 5.7 | — | B+ | D | B |
Sutton, Salhouse, Coltishall and Horstead, Blofield Heath and Rackheath have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Butcher's Common
Who lives in Butcher's Common?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 39% of residents were 65 or over and 35% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 9% were under 15.
How many listed buildings are there in Butcher's Common?
That is 7.2 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Butcher's Common?
Band D council tax in Butcher's Common is £2,424 for 2026–27, less than in 54% 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 Butcher's Common
Village in Norfolk, England
Butcher's Common is a built-up area of 283 people, in the North Norfolk 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
- 283 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002296
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.