Photo: Evelyn Simak · CC BY-SA 2.0

51.1Median age

Who lives here · ONS Census 2021

Older than 90% of UK towns: half of Cantley is over 51.1

Against a figure of 24% across England’s towns, the share of households in terraced houses in Cantley comes in at 4.6%. Its 218 households held 509 residents at the 2021 Census. Census figures put residents with no religion at 48% locally. Households in flats are rarer here than in 99% of UK towns.

26%aged 65 or over 2.4%born abroad 218households

Ages

In Cantley, 7.1% of residents are aged 15 to 24, fewer than in 99% of UK towns

Share of residents in each five-year age band, Census 2021.

CantleyEngland’s towns

0–410–1420–2430–3440–4450–5460–6470–7480–84

Here 26% of residents are 65 or over, where the figure across England’s towns is 18%. To put it in context, 12% of residents are aged 15 to 24 across England’s towns.

Broad ages · share of residents

Under 1515%

15 to 247.1%

25 to 4419%

45 to 6432%

65 and over26%

CantleyNorfolk’s townsEngland’s towns

Women and men · all residents

48% women, 52% men

Cantley

England

WomenMen

About 108 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.

Students & newcomers

2.3% of adults are full-time students, below 99% of UK towns

What adults did at the 2021 Census (the ONS’s NS-SEC classes), and where residents lived a year earlier.

Adults by occupation class · residents 16 and over

Full-time students2.3%

Higher managerial and professional8.8%

Lower managerial and professional20%

Intermediate16%

Small employers and self-employed13%

Supervisory and technical7.2%

Semi-routine12%

Routine15%

Never worked or long-term unemployed5.3%

CantleyNorfolk’s townsEngland’s towns

Address a year before the Census

Residents who lived somewhere else a year earlier. The bar runs to 25%.

Cantley

6.1%

England’s towns

11%

Moved within the UKTerm-time addressMoved from abroad

Moved in within a year

residents, 6.1%; England’s towns 11%

Of them from abroad

0.2× England’s share

In Cantley, 29% of adults work in managerial and professional jobs and 27% in routine and semi-routine work, against 33% and 24% across England’s towns. Elsewhere, 7.9% of adults are full-time students across England’s towns. Residents who moved in within the year account for 6.1%.

Households

A smaller share of households with dependent children than 91% of UK towns: 22%

Household make-up at the 2021 Census. Each square is 1% of households.

Living alone, 66+ 14%Living alone, under 66 10%Families with dependent children 22%Couples and families, no young children 51%Shared houses and other 2.8%

Against Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns

Cantley

Norfolk’s towns

England’s towns

People per household

1 person25%

2 people45%

3 people14%

4 people12%

5 or more5%

England’s towns.

4.3% of households are unrelated adults sharing a home across England’s towns, against 2.8% in Cantley. Against that, 29% of households have dependent children across England’s towns. The census found that nearly a quarter of households are one person living alone locally.

Homes & cars

More households in detached houses than 95% of UK towns: 59%

Accommodation type and cars or vans per household, Census 2021. Owning and renting are on Cost of living.

Type of home

Cantley

Norfolk’s towns

England’s towns

DetachedSemi-detachedTerracedFlat or maisonetteCaravan or other

Cars or vans · share of households

No car or van9.5%

One41%

Two30%

Three or more19%

CantleyNorfolk’s townsEngland’s towns

Compared with 24% across England’s towns, nearly one in ten households have no car or van here. To put it in context, just over a fifth of households live in a detached house across England’s towns.

Where people were born

A lower share of residents born outside the UK than 97% of UK towns, at 2.4%

Country of birth, year of arrival and main language, Census 2021.

Born outside the UK, by region · share of all residents; the bar runs to 25%

Cantley

2.4%

Norfolk’s towns

10%

England’s towns

18%

EU countriesRest of EuropeMiddle East and AsiaAfricaAmericas, Oceania, other

Main language · residents aged 3 and over

English is main language100%

Another main language, speaks English very well or well0.2%

Another main language, little or no English0%

CantleyNorfolk’s townsEngland’s towns

The two biggest birthplaces abroad are in the Middle East and Asia (0.8%) and in Africa (0.8%). The usual figure: 18% of residents were born outside the UK across England’s towns. Compared with other places, residents whose main language is English are common here: 100%, more than in 99% of UK towns.

Ethnicity & religion

Residents who describe themselves as White British make up 98% in Cantley, more than in 99% of UK towns

How residents described themselves at the 2021 Census. Lines join the lowest and highest of the three figures.

Ethnic groups other than White British · all residents

CantleyNorfolk’s townsEngland’s towns

Other White0.8%

Asian0.4%

Mixed0.2%

Black0%

Other0.2%

0%6%12%

White British, not charted: 98% of Cantley · Norfolk’s towns 88% · England’s towns 73%.

Religion · all residents

CantleyNorfolk’s townsEngland’s towns

No religion48%

Christian47%

Muslim0%

Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist0.4%

Other religion0.2%

Didn’t answer3.9%

0%30%60%

In Cantley, 47% of residents describe themselves as Christian, beside 46% across England’s towns. Across the comparison, 73% of residents describe themselves as White British across England’s towns.

Relationships & caring

More unpaid carers than 96% of UK towns: 12% of residents

Legal partnership status (residents 16 and over) and unpaid care (residents 5 and over), Census 2021.

Partnership status · residents 16 and over

Never married or in a civil partnership27%

Married or civil partnership55%

Separated2.1%

Divorced10%

Widowed6.1%

CantleyNorfolk’s townsEngland’s towns

59residents give unpaid care to someone with an illness, disability or old age: 12%, against 8.7% in England’s towns

Unpaid care given · share of residents 5 and over

Up to 19 hours a week5.2%

20 to 49 hours3.2%

50 hours or more3.4%

39% of adults have never married or formed a civil partnership across England’s towns, against 27% in Cantley. Measured more widely, 8.7% of residents give unpaid care across England’s towns. In Cantley, 55% of adults are married or in a civil partnership.

Qualifications

24% of adults are qualified to degree level

Highest qualification, residents 16 and over, Census 2021.

Highest qualification · residents 16 and over

No qualifications18%

Apprenticeship8.6%

A levels or similar19%

Degree level24%

CantleyNorfolk’s townsEngland’s towns

18% of Cantley’s adults have no qualification (18% across England’s towns), and 24% have one at degree level (34%).

Neighbours

Cantley sits below 2 of its 7 closest neighbours on median age

Nearby built-up areas coloured by median age, Census 2021. Tap a town for its page.

FreethorpeChedgraveLingwoodLoddonThurltonBrundallAcleCantley

under 3838–4444–5050–5656+

Town	People	Away	Median age	65+	Homes with children
Cantley	509	—	51.1	26%	22%
Freethorpe	1,050	1.8 mi	41.5	19%	33%
Chedgrave	1,053	3 mi	57	39%	20%
Lingwood	2,368	3 mi	48.4	27%	25%
Loddon	2,247	3.6 mi	44.2	22%	26%
Thurlton	1,145	4.1 mi	49.4	24%	27%
Brundall	4,378	4.4 mi	51	30%	24%
Acle	2,268	4.5 mi	54	34%	18%

More about Cantley’s residents

Health, work and homes have their own pages

HealthLife expectancy, early deaths and Census health, adjusted for age Work & commuteIncome, the claimant count, jobs and how people get to work Cost of livingOwners and renters, prices, rents and council tax SchoolsEvery primary and secondary, with results and inspections

How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

“Norfolk’s towns” and “England’s towns” mean their built-up areas. Census comparisons pool every built-up area in Norfolk (or England), summed the same way as Cantley’s figures, so households in open countryside are left out.
Small counts are blurred. The ONS adds small random changes to Census counts to protect privacy, so the same total differs a little between tables, and the shares of a small town can move by a point or two.

Questions about Cantley’s residents

What is the population of Cantley?

The 2021 Census counted 509 people in Cantley’s built-up area.

What is the average age in Cantley?

The median age was 51.1 at the 2021 Census. 7.1% of residents were 15 to 24 and 26% were 65 or over.

How diverse is Cantley?

98% of residents described themselves as White British in 2021, against 73% across England’s towns and 88% across Norfolk’s towns. 2.4% were born outside the UK.

What religion are people in Cantley?

48% said they had no religion and 47% that they were Christian at the 2021 Census; 0% were Muslim and 3.9% didn’t answer.

Is Cantley good for families?

22% of households had dependent children in 2021, against 29% across England’s towns. Schools are on Cantley’s schools page.

Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area (TS002, TS003, TS004, TS007A, TS008, TS015, TS017, TS019, TS021, TS029, TS030, TS039, TS044, TS045, TS062, TS067). 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.