Hilgay’s story
8 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Hilgay’s built-up area.
28% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HilgayNorfolk
873 people call this village in Norfolk, East of England home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
873
Census 2021 · King's Lynn and West Norfolk council
Median home
£240K
37 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.8
26% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
19%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hilgay a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Hilgay has no grades; its figures are still real. 8% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 8 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. 19% of adults have a degree-level qualification.
What makes Hilgay stand out
The 3 things Hilgay 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%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of All Saints; 3.8 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hilgay.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Hilgay than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 14% are under 15
People aged 15 to 24 make up nearly a tenth of the town, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). Those 65 and older account for just over a quarter of residents. The middle age in Hilgay is 51.8.
51.8median age
HilgayNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level19%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hilgay | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 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
Schools
The schools around Hilgay
54% of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The one school in town appears below. The town’s primary school has 75 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilgay Riverside AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 75 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Long commutes are the norm in Hilgay: just 15% travel under 5 km, below Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 20% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The census counted a fifth of workers working mainly from home. The car took nine in ten commuters, above both Norfolk’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%). The average household earns £48K a year before tax. 2% of commuters who live in Hilgay also work there.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot5%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
20%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
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 Hilgay own their home: 72%, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
The middle sale price: £240K, below Norfolk’s towns (£280K) and England’s towns (£308K) alike. The social rented sector houses 13% of households. 15% of households are private tenants.
£240Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hilgay£240K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £320,000 | 21 |
| Terraced | £166,000 | 13 |
72%
of households own their home · England 61%
15%
rent privately · England 21%
£941
average private rent a month, King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area
£2,449
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 are rarer in Hilgay than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 5.7 per 1,000 residents a year
Of all the crimes, 50% were violence and sexual offences. Over the year to August 2026, 14 offences were reported in Hilgay. Violence accounts for 16 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
16violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Damage & arson3
Public order1
Other theft1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Drugs0
Anti-social0
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.
16
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
14
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
Good or very good health: 78% of Hilgay’s residents
The nearest A&E to Hilgay is The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 13.9 miles away. At the census, 21% of people here had a disability, close to Norfolk’s towns (20%) and above England’s towns (17%). There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 3 miles off.
78%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Hilgay | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.1% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
81.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Hilgay: 28% 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.
Per 10,000 residents, Hilgay counts 92 listed buildings.
8listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II7
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of All Saints Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
28%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
92
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 Hilgay
12pages on Hilgay
The big questions
Safety16 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £240K · rent £941 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street Foresters AvenueSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.4 (men), 82.4 (women)Work & commute44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Hilgay’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SoutheryDownham MarketStoke FerryMethwoldFeltwellUpwell and OutwellWatlingtonHilgay
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilgay | 873 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southery | 1,258 | 2.2 | — | C− | A− | C |
| Downham Market | 11,349 | 3.1 | C | C− | B− | C |
| Stoke Ferry | 1,191 | 5.2 | — | D | B+ | C |
| Methwold | 1,044 | 7.3 | — | C− | B− | C |
| Feltwell | 2,919 | 7.5 | B− | C | A | C |
| Upwell and Outwell | 3,664 | 7.6 | D− | C | C | C |
| Watlington | 2,593 | 7.9 | D | C | B+ | C |
Southery, Stoke Ferry and Methwold have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hilgay
How many listed buildings are there in Hilgay?
That is 3.8 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Hilgay expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £166,000 and detached houses £320,000. Private rents in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area averaged £941 a month in August 2026.
About Hilgay
Village in Norfolk, England
Hilgay is a built-up area of 873 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
- Population
- 873 (Census 2021)
- Council
- King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002727
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.