Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 1,117 people, this village lies in Norfolk, East of England.
Where it does best is cost of living (A): the median home sold for £255,000, 4.5 years of area income. It is strong on safety as well: 15.2 violent and sexual offences and 5.7 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Its schools fall short: primary results beat 14% of towns in England; secondary results beat 25% of towns in England. Most journeys need a car (C+): just over one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for health and B− for jobs & income.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Roydon (South Norfolk) has subject grades but no overall one.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Roydon (South Norfolk) is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The 3 things Roydon (South Norfolk) does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Roydon (South Norfolk)’s built-up area.
11% 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 Roydon (South Norfolk).
Degrees are held by 19% of adults, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (26%) and England’s towns (34%). The 65-and-over age group makes up 27% of residents. Half of Roydon (South Norfolk) is older than 52.1, half younger. People aged 15 to 24 are a tenth of the population.
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Roydon (South Norfolk) | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.9% | 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
1% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up just over one in ten households, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Half of the 42 standard sales inside Roydon (South Norfolk)’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £255,000.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £301,250 | 22 |
| Semi-detached | £250,000 | 17 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
The 12 months to August 2026 brought 33 recorded crimes inside Roydon (South Norfolk)’s built-up area, and 4 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 55% of the crimes. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Roydon (South Norfolk) has less crime per resident than nearly two thirds of them.
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.
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 19% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households had £47K a year before tax, below Norfolk’s towns (£50K) and England’s towns (£55K) alike. 86% of commuters drove to work at the census. Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.8% of 16 to 64s in 2026.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Roydon (South Norfolk)’s listed buildings include the Church of St Remigius, Grade I. For its size, Roydon (South Norfolk) has 90 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, above both Norfolk’s towns (42) and England’s towns (39).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Self-reported good health: 84% of Roydon (South Norfolk)’s residents. At the census, 15% of people here had a disability, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%). This Norfolk town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Roydon (South Norfolk) | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.5% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 20% | 17% |
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.
Village in Norfolk, England
Roydon (South Norfolk) is a built-up area of 1,117 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roydon (South Norfolk) | 1,117 | — | — | A | A− | B− |
| Diss | 9,599 | 1.2 | C+ | A | C+ | C+ |
| Scole | 1,037 | 3.1 | — | A | A | B |
| Dickleburgh | 1,166 | 4.4 | — | A | A | B |
| Rickinghall and Botesdale | 1,842 | 4.6 | — | A− | A | A |
| Eye | 2,211 | 4.7 | — | A− | B | B |
| Gislingham | 1,172 | 5.7 | — | A | A | A |
| East Harling | 2,490 | 7.4 | — | C− | A | B |
Scole, Dickleburgh, Rickinghall and Botesdale, Eye, Gislingham and East Harling have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 3.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Remigius.
GCSE results trail 75% of towns in England, and primary results trail 87% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). Places are handled by Norfolk council.
About the middle for its size: 35% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, it grades A−.
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.