Marshland St James’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Marshland St James’ built-up area.
18% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Marshland St JamesNorfolk
A village of 1,025 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ben Harris · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,025
Census 2021 · King's Lynn and West Norfolk council
Median home
£310K
39 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.6
27% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
19%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Marshland St James a good place to live?
Recorded crime is low (B+): 20.5 violent and sexual offences and 3.9 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Its weakest is hazard risk (D−) — 42.5% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Buying the median home, at £310,000, takes 6.5 years of household income in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area. Schools are weaker too — primary results beat 3% of towns in England. It also trails on jobs & income: mean household income £47,133; 2.6% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Walkability is weaker too: on the way to work, 8% walk, cycle or take a bus or train.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · claimants, DWP · commuting, Census 2021. Marshland St James has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Marshland St James stand out
The 3 things Marshland St James 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%)
Flood risk, against UK towns
Flood risk
43% of homes at risk
High or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea: more than in 100% of UK towns
Environment Agency flood maps, defences counted.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Norfolk 26%.
How Marshland St James grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Marshland St James is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Marshland St James has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Hazard riskIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 3% of towns in EnglandD−Open →Cost of livingRent £941 a monthDOpen →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedDOpen →HealthLife expectancy 78.3 for men, 83.4 for womenC−Open →SafetyAhead of most towns comparedB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingC−Open →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 3.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsDOpen →Civic life2.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Marshland St James.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Marshland St James than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 19% of adults
Retirement age and beyond: 27% of residents are 65 or older. 14% are under 15, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for nearly one in ten residents. Half of Marshland St James is older than 49.6, half younger.
49.6median age
Marshland St JamesNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications26%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level19%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Marshland St James | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 26% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.8% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 19% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
HousingCost of living grade D
More households own their home in Marshland St James than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 84%
Social renters account for 4% of households. 12% rent privately, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). The £310,000 median rests on 39 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£310Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Marshland St James£310K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £335,000 | 31 |
84%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£941
average private rent a month, King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area
£2,489
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Only 15% of Marshland St James’ commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 23% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Nine in ten commuters took the car to work at the census. About 3% of its commuters stay in Marshland St James for work. Jobs per working resident: 0.7.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot5%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
Train1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£47K
mean household income, before tax
2.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 10% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Marshland St James’s one listed building is Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Marshland St James has 10 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, below both Norfolk’s towns (45) and England’s towns (39). 18% of homes date from before 1919.
1listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
18%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
10
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Marshland St James say their health is good than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 74%
Disability touches nearly a quarter of Marshland St James’ population. Seeing a GP means leaving Marshland St James: the nearest practice is 2.9 miles away. The nearest A&E to Marshland St James is The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 10.3 miles away.
74%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 74%Fair 20%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Marshland St James | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 74% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 20% | 17% |
78.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
Safety
Crime per resident in Marshland St James is lower than in 71% of UK towns
The 12 months to August 2026 brought 34 recorded crimes inside Marshland St James’s built-up area, and 4 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 62% of recorded crime. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.9 reports per 1,000, below Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
20.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 52% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual21
Damage & arson3
Drugs3
Burglary2
Other crime2
Public order1
Other theft1
Theft from person1
Anti-social4
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.
20.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
34
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.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Marshland St James
13pages on Marshland St James
The big questions
SafetyB+20.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £310K · rent £941 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street Smeeth RoadSchoolsD−HealthC−Life expectancy 78.3 (men), 83.4 (women)Work & commuteD45% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD−42.5% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Marshland St James’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Tilney St LawrenceElm and EmnethWisbechUpwell and OutwellWalpole St Peter and Walpole St AndrewFriday BridgeLeveringtonMarshland St James
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshland St James | 1,025 | — | — | D | B+ | C− |
| Tilney St Lawrence | 1,504 | 2.8 | — | C+ | B | C |
| Elm and Emneth | 4,555 | 2.9 | D | C | B− | C− |
| Wisbech | 26,800 | 3.5 | D− | B− | D | D |
| Upwell and Outwell | 3,664 | 4.3 | D− | C | C | C |
| Walpole St Peter and Walpole St Andrew | 1,574 | 4.5 | — | C | B+ | C− |
| Friday Bridge | 1,411 | 4.5 | — | C+ | C+ | C− |
| Leverington | 1,694 | 5.1 | — | C+ | C | C |
Tilney St Lawrence, Walpole St Peter and Walpole St Andrew, Friday Bridge and Leverington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Marshland St James
Does Marshland St James flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Are schools in Marshland St James good?
Primary results trail 97% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). Places are handled by Norfolk council.
About Marshland St James
Village in Norfolk, England
Marshland St James is a built-up area of 1,025 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
- 1,025 (Census 2021)
- Council
- King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002476
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.