Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 997 in Norfolk, East of England.
Overstrand has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
The 3 things Overstrand does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Overstrand’s built-up area.
29% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Overstrand.
Children under 15 make up 7.7%, below Norfolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Aged 15 to 24: 5.7% of residents. Among adults, 28% have a degree.
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Overstrand | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 7.7% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 9.4% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 50% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.5% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Below is its only school. Secondary results at the one secondary school within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 47.7, with 50% at grade 5 or above in English and maths. The town’s primary school has 130 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 130 | C+ |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
87% of commuters drove, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%). For a third of commuters, work was under 5 km away. Work in town: 6% of resident commuters. Unemployment benefit claims reached 2% of 16 to 64s in 2026.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
5% of households rent from a council or housing body. Private renters make up 13% of households, below both Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Behind the median of £385,000: 65 standard sales inside Overstrand’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £403,275 | 46 |
| Semi-detached | £325,000 | 9 |
| Terraced | £270,000 | 7 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Per 1,000 residents, 8.4 violent crimes are recorded each year. Police recorded 7 crimes inside Overstrand’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1 reports per 1,000, below both Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences made up 71% of the total.
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.
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.
7.5% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (5.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Asked at the census, 73% of residents of Overstrand said they were in good or very good health. Also worth knowing: the nearest A&E to Overstrand is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 21.3 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Overstrand | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 73% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.5% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 26% | 20% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Overstrand has 130 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above both Norfolk’s towns (44) and England’s towns (39). Homes from before 1919 make up 29% of the total. It has 13 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 6 Grade II*.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Overstrand. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustFelbrigg Hall4.8 km outside town, to the west
PierCromer Pier2.5 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumHenry Blogg Lifeboat Museum2.2 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumCromer Museum2.3 km outside town, to the northwestZooZooAmazona Zoo2.2 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionWizard Maze & Play4.7 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overstrand | 997 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cromer | 7,522 | 1.7 | C− | C− | C+ | C |
| Mundesley | 2,777 | 4.4 | D | D | B | C+ |
| West Runton and Beeston Regis | 1,463 | 5 | — | D | A+ | B |
| Sheringham | 7,087 | 5.7 | C | D | B | B |
| North Walsham | 12,829 | 6.9 | D | C− | C+ | C |
| Aylsham | 7,183 | 9.5 | B+ | B | B | B+ |
| Holt | 4,014 | 10 | D | D− | C | B |
West Runton and Beeston Regis has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 5.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £385,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £270,000, semi-detached houses £325,000 and detached houses £403,275. Private rents in the North Norfolk council area averaged £865 a month in August 2026.
Village in Norfolk, England
Overstrand is a built-up area of 997 people, in the North 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
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.