Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
859 residents make their home in this village in Norfolk, East of England.
Castle Acre 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 9% of commuters. 21 buildings are listed here, 3 at Grade I. A third of residents are 65 or over.
The 3 things Castle Acre does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Castle Acre’s built-up area, along with 2 scheduled monuments.
29% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Castle Acre.
People aged 15 to 24 are 7.6% of the population. Children under 15 make up 14%, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Typical age in Castle Acre: 55, the median.
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Castle Acre | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.6% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
At the one primary school within 3 km, just over a third of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Acre Church of England Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 86 | D− |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Nine in ten commuters took the car to work at the census. Unemployment benefit claims came to 1.7% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below Norfolk’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. There are 0.9 jobs in Castle Acre for each resident in work.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Private rents average £941 a month across the King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area. 19% live in social housing, above Norfolk’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Home ownership stands at 61% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £497,500 | 11 |
| Semi-detached | £280,000 | 10 |
| Terraced | £295,000 | 8 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Burglary and damage came to 4.7 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Norfolk’s towns (6.1) and England’s towns (9.4). Over the year to August 2026, 18 offences were reported in Castle Acre, along with 1 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 61% of recorded crime.
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.
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.
Castle Acre has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.5 miles away. The nearest A&E to Castle Acre is The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 10.7 miles away. At the census, four fifths of people in Castle Acre called their health good or very good, near Norfolk’s towns (79%) and lower than England’s towns (82%).
| Census 2021 | Castle Acre | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 20% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Castle Acre’s listed buildings include Bailey Gate, Grade I. Homes from before 1919 make up 29% of the total. Per 10,000 residents, Castle Acre counts 244 listed buildings, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (44) and England’s towns (39). The top grade, Grade I, goes to 3 of them.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Acre | 859 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Swaffham | 8,434 | 4.3 | D | C+ | C | C− |
| Narborough | 1,362 | 4.6 | — | B− | B− | C+ |
| Necton | 1,742 | 5.5 | — | C+ | A | B− |
| Gayton | 1,522 | 6.2 | — | C− | B− | B− |
| Marham | 2,608 | 7 | A− | B− | A+ | B |
| Ashill | 1,252 | 7.9 | — | C+ | B | B− |
| Saham Toney | 1,287 | 9.6 | — | C | A | B− |
Narborough, Necton, Gayton, Ashill and Saham Toney have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 10 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Remains of Gatehouse of Cluniac Benedictine Priory of St Mary and St Peter and St Paul. It also has 2 scheduled monuments.
By type: terraced houses £295,000, semi-detached houses £280,000 and detached houses £497,500.
Village in Norfolk, England
Castle Acre is a built-up area of 859 people, in the King's Lynn and West 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
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.