Necton’s story
Historic England lists 6 buildings inside Necton’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade I.
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
NectonNorfolk
A village of 1,742 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,742
Census 2021 · Breckland council
Median home
£275K
88 sales in 3 years
Median age
57.3
38% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
17%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Necton a good place to live?
Necton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 13.4 violent and sexual offences and 4.8 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is schools (C−): primary results beat 21% of towns in England. The median home sold for £275,000 in the last three years, 5.6 times what households in the Breckland council area earn in a year.
What makes Necton stand out
The 3 things Necton does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
38% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Degree level, 16+
Education
17% have a degree
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Norfolk 26%.
How Necton grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Necton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 21% of towns in EnglandC−Open →WalkabilityC−Open →Hazard risk1.8% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £50,085; 2.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC−Open →Cost of livingrent £928 a monthC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 79.9 for men, 84.2 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryCOpen →Outdoors17% live within 400 m of a park; 1.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsD−Open →Civic life0.6 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 Necton.
Who lives here
An older town: 38% of people in Necton are 65 or over, more than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns
Necton sits above both Norfolk’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. Children are 11% of the town. The median resident of Necton is 57.3 years old.
57.3median age
NectonNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
38%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications28%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level17%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Necton | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 38% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 28% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.6% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 17% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Safety
Necton has less crime per resident than 87% of UK towns
Violence came to 13.4 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Norfolk’s towns (18.9) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 59 crimes inside Necton’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 9 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 31% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
13.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 76% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual18
Shoplifting17
Public order8
Other theft6
Damage & arson4
Drugs3
Burglary2
Weapons1
Anti-social9
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.
13.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
59
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Fewer commuters in Necton work nearby than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 11% travel under 5 km
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.
That puts Necton below both Norfolk’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 9% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Bus3%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 18% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
6 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Necton has 6 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*. 9% of its homes were built before 1919.
6listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II4
Among them · Grade I
- Church of All Saints Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
34
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
More households own their home in Necton than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 79%
On this, Necton is above both Norfolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 10% of households.
£275Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Necton£275K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £286,500 | 70 |
| Semi-detached | £237,000 | 17 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£928
average private rent a month, Breckland council area
£2,425
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
Fewer people in Necton say their health is good than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 74%
In the comparison, Necton comes below both Norfolk’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (82%). Necton has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.6 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.
74%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 74%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Necton | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 74% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.5% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 20% | 17% |
79.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Necton
13pages on Necton
The big questions
SafetyA13.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £275K · rent £928 a monthHousing25 sold in 12 months · busiest street Ketts HillSchoolsC−HealthB−Life expectancy 79.9 (men), 84.2 (women)Work & commuteC−46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC−1.8% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Necton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
AshillSwaffhamSaham ToneyShipdhamWattonDerehamGristonNecton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Necton | 1,742 | — | — | C+ | A | B− |
| Ashill | 1,252 | 2.8 | — | C+ | B | B− |
| Swaffham | 8,434 | 3.6 | D | C+ | C | C− |
| Saham Toney | 1,287 | 4.4 | — | C | A | B− |
| Shipdham | 2,459 | 5.2 | — | C+ | A− | B− |
| Watton | 11,549 | 5.9 | C+ | B− | C+ | C |
| Dereham | 20,788 | 7.2 | C− | B− | C− | C+ |
| Griston | 1,361 | 7.5 | — | C− | C− | C |
Ashill, Saham Toney, Shipdham and Griston have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Necton
Are schools in Necton good?
Primary results trail 79% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). Places are handled by Norfolk council.
Does Necton flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Necton
Village in Norfolk, England
Necton is a built-up area of 1,742 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
- 1,742 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Breckland
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002517
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.