Hales’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Hales’ built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HalesNorfolk
A village of 525 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Adrian S Pye · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
525
Census 2021 · South Norfolk council
Median home
£275K
19 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.6
20% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
23%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hales a good place to live?
Hales has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Hales stand out
The 3 things Hales 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%)
Homes built before 1919
History
32% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Norfolk 26%.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hales.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Hales than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 23% of adults
On this, Hales is below both Norfolk’s towns (26%) and England’s towns (34%). Under-15s account for 15% of the population. Half the people of Hales are older than 45.6.
45.6median age
HalesNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level23%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hales | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.5% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 23% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Hales walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 8%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 26% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Hales comes below both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (27%). For 23% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot4%
Bicycle2%
Bus2%
Train1%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
26%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
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 Hales own their home: 84%, more than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns
For Hales, that is above both Norfolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 9% of households.
£275Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hales£275K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £325,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £270,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £225,000 | 5 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£981
average private rent a month, South Norfolk council area
£2,414
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
Burglary and damage in Hales run at 10.8 per 1,000 a year, against 6.1 in Norfolk’s towns and 9.4 in England’s towns
Police recorded 33 crimes inside Hales’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. There were 0.6 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences were 64% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
22.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual21
Damage & arson7
Weapons2
Public order1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Other theft0
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.
22.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
33
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Hales than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.2% of residents
Hales sits below both Norfolk’s towns (5.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%) on this measure. Hales has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.7 miles away. 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.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Hales | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.2% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 20% | 17% |
81.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Hales keeps more of its old housing than Norfolk or England’s towns: 32% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
That puts Hales above both Norfolk’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (16%). Hales has 1 listed building on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
19
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hales
12pages on Hales
The big questions
Safety22.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £275K · rent £981 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street MillsideSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.5 (men), 82.5 (women)Work & commute43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards9.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Hales’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LoddonChedgraveThurltonDitchinghamFreethorpeBungayBecclesHales
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hales | 525 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Loddon | 2,247 | 1.6 | — | A− | C− | B |
| Chedgrave | 1,053 | 1.9 | — | A− | A− | B |
| Thurlton | 1,145 | 2.1 | — | A− | A− | B |
| Ditchingham | 1,997 | 4.4 | — | A | A | B |
| Freethorpe | 1,050 | 4.9 | — | A− | A− | B− |
| Bungay | 5,012 | 5.5 | C+ | A | C+ | B− |
| Beccles | 9,807 | 5.5 | B | A | C | C |
Loddon, Chedgrave, Thurlton, Ditchingham and Freethorpe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hales
How many listed buildings are there in Hales?
1 on Historic England’s list.
Who lives in Hales?
At the 2021 Census, 13% of Hales’ 525 residents were 15 to 24 and 20% were 65 or over, against 12% and 18% across England’s towns.
How much is council tax in Hales?
Band D council tax in Hales is £2,414 for 2026–27, less than in 56% 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 Hales
Village in Norfolk, England
Hales is a built-up area of 525 people, in the South 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
- 525 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002742
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.