Griston’s story
4 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Griston’s built-up area.
3% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
GristonNorfolk
A village of 1,361 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David from Colorado Springs, United States · CC BY 2.0
Population
1,361
Census 2021 · Breckland council
Median home
£353K
13 sales in 3 years
Median age
37.5
12% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
19%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
31%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Griston a good place to live?
Griston is easy to get around without a car: on the way to work, 31% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. The weak point is safety (C−) — police record 49 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 3.4 home and vehicle crimes. Among UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has less crime per resident than 8%. Homes sell for a median £352,500, about 7.1 years of what households in the Breckland council area earn.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS. Griston is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
What makes Griston stand out
The 3 things Griston does most differently from other towns.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 100%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 84%. Department for Education.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Norfolk 26%.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 12% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Griston grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Griston is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Griston is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
WalkabilityAmong the best of the towns comparedA+Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentC−Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £53,005C−Open →HealthLife expectancy 79.2 for men, 83.8 for womenCOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 1% of towns in England; secondary results beat 84% of towns in EnglandC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryAmong the weakest of the towns comparedC−Open →Outdoors15% live within 400 m of a park; 0.8 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsD−Open →Civic life0 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Griston.
Who lives here
Children make up only 5% of Griston, fewer than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
Just over one in ten residents are 65 or over, below both Norfolk’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Griston has a median age of 37.5 years. Graduates make up 19% of adults.
37.5median age
GristonNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
11%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level19%
Women and men · all residents
19% women, 81% men
About 23 women for every 100 men. Across England, 51% of residents are women. A large institution, such as a prison, barracks, boarding school, university or care home, can tilt a town’s split: the census counts the people living there as residents.
| Griston | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 5% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 49% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 23% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 12% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.2% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 19% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Long commutes are the norm in Griston: just 19% travel under 5 km, below Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 22% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took three in five commuters, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%). Griston counts 1.3 jobs per working resident. 6% of commuters who live in Griston also work there. Among 16 to 64s, 2.9% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
31%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving60%
On foot21%
Train4%
Bicycle4%
Bus2%
19%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£53K
mean household income, before tax
2.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A+
Walkability: more walkable than 96% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
The Church of Ss Peter and Paul (Grade I) heads Griston’s short list of listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
3% of its homes were built before 1919, below both Norfolk’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (16%). Griston’s listed buildings include the Church of Ss Peter and Paul, Grade I. Per 10,000 residents, Griston counts 29 listed buildings.
4listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II3
Among them · Grade I
- Church of Ss Peter and Paul Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
3%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
29
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
For a town of its size, Griston records a lot of crime: more per resident than nine in ten of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Reported offences in Griston came to 121 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 1. Violence and sexual offences made up 58% of the total.
49violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 8% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual70
Other crime27
Public order13
Drugs8
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
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.
49
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
121
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.
HousingCost of living grade C−
Most households in Griston own their home: 79%, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
3% live in social housing, below both Norfolk’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Half of the 13 standard sales inside Griston’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £352,500. Private rents average £928 a month across the Breckland council area.
£353Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Griston£353K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £462,000 | 9 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£928
average private rent a month, Breckland council area
£2,404
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Bad health is more common in Griston than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 9.5% of residents
Seeing a GP means leaving Griston: the nearest practice is 1.8 miles away. Just over a third of residents have a disability, above Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. Asked at the census, 72% of residents of Griston said they were in good or very good health. Also worth knowing: the nearest A&E to Griston is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 15.9 miles away.
72%good or very good healthCHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 72%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 9%
| Census 2021 | Griston | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 72% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 9.5% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 35% | 20% | 17% |
79.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.8
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Griston
14pages on Griston
The big questions
SafetyC−49 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £353K · rent £928 a monthHousing2 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsC+HealthCLife expectancy 79.2 (men), 83.8 (women)Work & commuteC−50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Griston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WattonSaham ToneyAshillShipdhamHinghamAttleboroughNectonGriston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Griston | 1,361 | — | — | C− | C− | C |
| Watton | 11,549 | 1.6 | C+ | B− | C+ | C |
| Saham Toney | 1,287 | 3.2 | — | C | A | B− |
| Ashill | 1,252 | 4.9 | — | C+ | B | B− |
| Shipdham | 2,459 | 5.6 | — | C+ | A− | B− |
| Hingham | 2,304 | 5.6 | — | A− | A− | B+ |
| Attleborough | 11,236 | 7 | C | C+ | B− | C+ |
| Necton | 1,742 | 7.5 | — | C+ | A | B− |
Saham Toney, Ashill, Shipdham, Hingham and Necton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Griston
Is Griston safe?
Burglary was rare, with 0 reports in the year.
Is Griston expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £352,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
About Griston
Village in Norfolk, England
Griston is a built-up area of 1,361 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
- Population
- 1,361 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Breckland
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002709
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.