Saham Toney’s story
6 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Saham Toney’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Saham ToneyNorfolk
A village of 1,287 in Norfolk, East of England. Over-65s are 37% of the population.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Pashley · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,287
Census 2021 · Breckland council
Median home
£325K
63 sales in 3 years
Median age
57.5
37% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
19%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Saham Toney a good place to live?
Police record less crime here than in most towns (A): 11.7 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 4.4 home and vehicle crimes. Getting around depends on the car: 5% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Buying in is costly: the median home sold for £325,000, 6.6 years of area income. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: C+ for schools, B− for health and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · life expectancy, ONS · flood risk, Environment Agency. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Saham Toney has its subject grades alone.
What makes Saham Toney stand out
The 3 things Saham Toney does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
37% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 100%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 84%. Department for Education.
How Saham Toney grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Saham Toney is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD−Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentAOpen →Cost of livingRent £928 a monthCOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work trail most townsC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 0% of towns in England; secondary results beat 84% of towns in EnglandC+Open →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →HealthLife expectancy 81.3 for men, 83.3 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageB−Open →Outdoors18% live within 400 m of a park; 3 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsDOpen →Civic life0.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Saham Toney.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Saham Toney: 37% are 65 or over, above Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
Children under 15 make up 9.7%, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%); what’s more, the share aged 15 to 24 is 8%. Saham Toney has a median age of 57.5. Degrees are held by nearly a fifth of adults.
57.5median age
Saham ToneyNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
37%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications24%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level19%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Saham Toney | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.7% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.3% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 19% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Fewer commuters in Saham Toney work nearby than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 25% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Households take home £48K a year before tax, on average. 94% of commuters drove, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%). In 2026, 1.7% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
On foot3%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
1.7%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: behind almost every UK town
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Fewer crimes per resident in Saham Toney than in 91% of UK towns
Of all the crimes, 58% were violence and sexual offences. Police recorded 26 crimes inside Saham Toney’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 6 reports of anti-social behaviour. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Saham Toney has less crime per resident than 83% of them.
11.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 83% 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 & sexual15
Burglary3
Damage & arson2
Other theft2
Public order1
Drugs1
Weapons1
Other crime1
Anti-social6
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.
11.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
26
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.
HousingCost of living grade C
Saham Toney is a town of owners: 76% of households own their home, above Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
11% live in social housing, below Norfolk’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. The private rented sector houses 13% of households. From September 2023 to August 2026, 63 homes sold inside Saham Toney’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £325,000.
£325Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Saham Toney£325K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £395,000 | 40 |
| Semi-detached | £255,000 | 19 |
76%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£928
average private rent a month, Breckland council area
£2,363
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
Only 77% of people in Saham Toney say their health is good or very good, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Saham Toney is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 17.4 miles away. At the census, 22% of people here had a disability, above both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 6.2% of the town. Also worth knowing: this Norfolk town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.4 miles away.
77%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Saham Toney | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.2% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 20% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Saham Toney’s listed buildings include the Church of St George, Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 20% of the total, above Norfolk’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Saham Toney has 47 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above both Norfolk’s towns (42) and England’s towns (39).
6listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II5
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St George Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
47
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Saham Toney
13pages on Saham Toney
The big questions
SafetyA11.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £325K · rent £928 a monthHousing18 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hills RoadSchoolsC+HealthB−Life expectancy 81.3 (men), 83.3 (women)Work & commuteC+46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Saham Toney’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WattonAshillGristonNectonShipdhamSwaffhamHinghamSaham Toney
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saham Toney | 1,287 | — | — | C | A | B− |
| Watton | 11,549 | 1.6 | C+ | B− | C+ | C |
| Ashill | 1,252 | 1.7 | — | C+ | B | B− |
| Griston | 1,361 | 3.2 | — | C− | C− | C |
| Necton | 1,742 | 4.4 | — | C+ | A | B− |
| Shipdham | 2,459 | 4.7 | — | C+ | A− | B− |
| Swaffham | 8,434 | 6.3 | D | C+ | C | C− |
| Hingham | 2,304 | 7.4 | — | A− | A− | B+ |
Ashill, Griston, Necton, Shipdham and Hingham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Saham Toney
How much is council tax in Saham Toney?
Band D council tax in Saham Toney is £2,363 for 2026–27, less than in 65% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Saham Toney
Village in Norfolk, England
Saham Toney is a built-up area of 1,287 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
- 1,287 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Breckland
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002655
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.