Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 620 in Norfolk, East of England.
Colkirk has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
The 3 things Colkirk does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists 9 buildings inside Colkirk’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade II*.
35% 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 Colkirk.
28% of adults hold a degree. Children under 15 make up 11%, below both Norfolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 7.3% of the population. Typical age in Colkirk: 56.9, the median.
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Colkirk | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The one school in town appears below. Just over two in five pupils at the 2 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one primary school teaches 55 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colkirk Church of England Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 55 | D− |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
2% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%). The car carried nine in ten commuters at the census. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters. For 37% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Social renters account for 8% of households. 11% rent privately, below both Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Private rents average £928 a month across the Breckland council area.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £452,500 | 14 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
The violent crime rate is 10.2 per 1,000 residents a year. Reported offences in Colkirk came to 18 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 3. Violence and sexual offences were 39% of the crimes.
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.
The nearest A&E to Colkirk is The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 17.1 miles away. At the census, 77% of people in Colkirk called their health good or very good, below both Norfolk’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (82%). Nearly a quarter of residents in Colkirk live with a disability. Also worth knowing: this Norfolk town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.8 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Colkirk | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.6% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 20% | 17% |
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.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Colkirk has 145 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above Norfolk’s towns (44) and England’s towns (39) alike. Historic England’s list names 9 listed buildings in the town: 1 Grade II*.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colkirk | 620 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fakenham | 8,390 | 2.4 | D | D | B− | C |
| North Elmham | 1,172 | 5.5 | — | C | A | B |
| Foulsham | 1,025 | 6.8 | — | A | B+ | B |
| Swanton Morley | 2,175 | 8.2 | — | C+ | A− | B |
| Melton Constable | 1,176 | 8.8 | — | C+ | A− | B |
| Dereham | 20,788 | 9.4 | C− | B− | C− | C+ |
| Briston | 1,983 | 9.5 | — | D | A− | B |
North Elmham, Foulsham, Swanton Morley, Melton Constable and Briston have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 6 times the typical UK town for its size. 35% of Colkirk’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £372,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
Village in Norfolk, England
Colkirk is a built-up area of 620 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
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.