Needham’s story
21 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Needham’s built-up area.
42% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
NeedhamNorfolk
A village of 313 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
313
Census 2021 · South Norfolk council
Median home
£358K
15 sales in 3 years
Median age
56.9
35% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Needham a good place to live?
Needham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Needham stand out
The 3 things Needham does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Peter; 27.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
35% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Needham.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Needham: 35% are 65 or over, above Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Needham comes above both Norfolk’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Under-15s account for 11% of the population. Needham has a median age of 56.9.
56.9median age
NeedhamNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
35%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship10%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Needham | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.3% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 35% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 10% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Needham than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 6%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Needham, that is below both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (27%). 20% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
On foot4%
Bus1%
Train1%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£49K
mean household income, before tax
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
Needham is a town of owners: 85% of households own their home, above Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
Needham sits above both Norfolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%) on this measure. Social housing holds 4% of households.
£358Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Needham£358K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £482,500 | 10 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£981
average private rent a month, South Norfolk council area
£2,427
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 Needham than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.2 per 1,000 residents a year
That puts Needham below both Norfolk’s towns (6.1) and England’s towns (9.4). Violent crime runs at 12.8 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 7 crimes inside Needham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 0 reports of anti-social behaviour.
12.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
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.
12.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
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
Fewer people in Needham say their health is good than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 75%
On this, Needham is below both Norfolk’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (82%). Needham has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.6 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.
75%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 19%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Needham | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 20% | 17% |
80.9
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
History
More buildings in Needham are listed than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 671 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Needham’s listed buildings include Church of St Peter, Grade I. Needham has 21 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. Homes from before 1919 make up 42% of the total, above both Norfolk’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (16%).
21listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II20
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Peter Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
42%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
671
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Wingfield Castle and 2 more in and around Needham
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Needham. Best known first.
CastleWingfield Castle3.4 km outside town, to the south
MuseumThe 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum3.6 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumKing George's Hall & Museum1.4 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Wingfield Castle: Robert Edwards, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum: Deben Dave, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Needham
13pages on Needham
The big questions
Safety12.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £358K · rent £981 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street High RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.9 (men), 83.4 (women)Work & commute50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Needham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HarlestonDickleburghStradbrokeScoleDissEyeLaxfieldNeedham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needham | 313 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harleston | 5,077 | 1.5 | B− | A− | B | B− |
| Dickleburgh | 1,166 | 3.7 | — | A | A | B |
| Stradbroke | 1,190 | 4.8 | — | A− | A+ | A− |
| Scole | 1,037 | 5.1 | — | A | A | B |
| Diss | 9,599 | 6.8 | C+ | A | C+ | C+ |
| Eye | 2,211 | 7 | — | A− | B | B |
| Laxfield | 1,004 | 7.1 | — | B | A+ | A− |
Dickleburgh, Stradbroke, Scole, Eye and Laxfield have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Needham
How many listed buildings are there in Needham?
That is 27.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Peter. 42% of Needham’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Is Needham expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £357,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the South Norfolk council area averaged £981 a month in August 2026.
About Needham
Village in Norfolk, England
Needham is a built-up area of 313 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
- 313 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002978
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.