Eccles on Sea’s story
Eccles on Sea: 35% of homes built before 1919
35% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Eccles on SeaNorfolk
In Norfolk, East of England, this village has 279 residents.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Evelyn Simak · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
279
Census 2021 · North Norfolk council
Median home
£175K
26 sales in 3 years
Median age
64.2
48% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
24%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Eccles on Sea a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Eccles on Sea has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 8% of commuters. Over-65s are 48% of the population. Mortgage-free owners make up just over three quarters of households.
What makes Eccles on Sea stand out
The 3 things Eccles on Sea does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
48% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
76% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Eccles on Sea.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Eccles on Sea than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 1.1% are under 15
Among adults, 24% have a degree. 48% of residents are 65 or over, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Eccles on Sea has a median age of 64.2.
64.2median age
Eccles on SeaNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
48%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications29%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level24%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Eccles on Sea | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 1.1% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 1.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 11% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 39% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 48% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 29% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.2% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 24% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Eccles on Sea work nearby than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 12% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 2% of 16 to 64s in 2026, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%). 89% of commuters took the car to work at the census. Households take home £42K a year before tax, on average.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Bicycle2%
12%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
32%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£42K
mean household income, before tax
2%
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 Eccles on Sea own their home: 91%, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
Social housing holds 1% of households, below Norfolk’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Private tenants account for 8% of households. Half of the 26 standard sales inside Eccles on Sea’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £175,000.
£175Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Eccles on Sea£175K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £182,500 | 24 |
91%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£865
average private rent a month, North Norfolk council area
£2,387
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
Homes in Eccles on Sea see less burglary and damage than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 1.2 per 1,000 a year
Violent crime ran at 8.4 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (18.9) and England’s towns (22). 3 crimes and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Eccles on Sea’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences made up 67% of the total.
8.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual2
Public order1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social1
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.
8.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.8
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
Only 67% of people in Eccles on Sea say their health is good or very good, fewer than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
At the census, 34% of people here had a disability, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%). Seeing a GP means leaving Eccles on Sea: the nearest practice is 3.3 miles away. The nearest A&E to Eccles on Sea is James Paget Hospital, 18.2 miles away.
67%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 67%Fair 24%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Eccles on Sea | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 67% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.3% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 34% | 20% | 17% |
80.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.4
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
Old homes shape Eccles on Sea: 35% were built before 1919, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Eccles on Sea’s built-up area.
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
35%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
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 →East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens and 2 more in and around Eccles on Sea
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Eccles on Sea. Best known first.
GardenEast Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens3 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumWaxham Great Barn3.3 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumSutton Corn Mill4.9 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens: John Fielding from Norwich, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Eccles on Sea
13pages on Eccles on Sea
The big questions
Safety8.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £175K · rent £865 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 months · busiest street Abbotts WaySchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.4 (men), 84.4 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Eccles on Sea’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
StalhamSuttonNorth WalshamMarthamMundesleyHemsbyHoveton and WroxhamEccles on Sea
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eccles on Sea | 279 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stalham | 3,383 | 3.2 | C+ | C | C+ | C+ |
| Sutton | 1,026 | 3.5 | — | C+ | A | C+ |
| North Walsham | 12,829 | 7.4 | D | C− | C+ | C |
| Martham | 3,633 | 7.6 | C | D | A− | B− |
| Mundesley | 2,777 | 7.6 | D | D | B | C+ |
| Hemsby | 5,724 | 9.2 | D | D | C+ | C |
| Hoveton and Wroxham | 3,620 | 9.3 | C− | D− | B− | B− |
Sutton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Eccles on Sea
Is Eccles on Sea expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £175,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the North Norfolk council area averaged £865 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Eccles on Sea?
Band D council tax in Eccles on Sea is £2,387 for 2026–27, less than in 61% 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 Eccles on Sea
Village in Norfolk, England
Eccles on Sea is a built-up area of 279 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
- 279 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002159
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.