Scole’s story
17 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Scole’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ScoleNorfolk
A village of 1,037 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: David Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,037
Census 2021 · South Norfolk council
Median home
£268K
46 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.8
30% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Scole a good place to live?
Scole has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is cost of living (A): median sale £267,500, 4.7 years of area income; rent £981 a month. Its weakest is schools (D): primary results beat 13% of towns in England; secondary results beat 25% of towns in England.
What makes Scole stand out
The 3 things Scole does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
35% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Scole Inn; 6.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
30% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Scole grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Scole is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingAOpen →SafetyAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 13% of towns in England; secondary results beat 25% of towns in EnglandDOpen →WalkabilityCOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £48,594; 2.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.9 for men, 83.4 for womenBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History17% of homes built before 1919B+Open →Outdoors51% live within 400 m of a park; 2.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life4.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Scole.
Who lives here
An older town: 30% of people in Scole are 65 or over, more than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns
For Scole, that is above both Norfolk’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Under-15s account for 13% of the population. The median resident of Scole is 52.8 years old.
52.8median age
ScoleNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications25%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Scole | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 25% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.2% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsD
Results at Scole’s schools trail 86% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
DSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scole Church of England Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 41 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade A
Private renting is less common in Scole than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 13%
Scole sits below both Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%) on this measure. Owners make up 71% of households.
£268Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Scole£268K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £319,200 | 21 |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | 17 |
| Terraced | £230,000 | 7 |
71%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£981
average private rent a month, South Norfolk council area
£2,434
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
Scole has less crime per resident than 88% of UK towns
Homes saw 3.9 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below both Norfolk’s towns (6.1) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 29 crimes inside Scole’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime runs at 13.8 per 1,000 residents a year.
13.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 77% 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 & sexual24
Damage & arson3
Other theft1
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social2
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.
13.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
29
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+
Only 10% of commuters in Scole go to work without a car, fewer than in Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 22% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Scole below both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (27%). The car carried 86% of commuters at the census.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot6%
Bicycle3%
Bus1%
Train1%
35%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£49K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 28% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Scole is rich in listed buildings: 164 per 10,000 residents, more than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
On this, Scole is above both Norfolk’s towns (42) and England’s towns (39). Scole’s listed buildings include Scole Inn, Grade I. Scole has 17 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*.
17listed buildingsB+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II15
Among them · Grade I
- Scole Inn Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
164
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Scole than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.2% of residents
In the comparison, Scole comes below both Norfolk’s towns (5.6%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Scole has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.2 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.
80%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Scole | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.2% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 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
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Eye Castle and 2 more in and around Scole
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Scole. Best known first.
CastleEye Castle4.8 km outside town, to the south
MuseumThe 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum3.5 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumDiss Museum3.1 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Eye Castle: Bob Jones, 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 Scole
15pages on Scole
The big questions
SafetyA13.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingAMedian home £268K · rent £981 a monthHousing13 sold in 12 months · busiest street St Leonards CloseSchoolsD1 state schoolHealthBLife expectancy 80.9 (men), 83.4 (women)Work & commuteC+43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB+0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Scole’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DissDickleburghEyeRoydon (South Norfolk)StradbrokeHarlestonGislinghamScole
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scole | 1,037 | — | — | A | A | B |
| Diss | 9,599 | 1.9 | C+ | A | C+ | C+ |
| Dickleburgh | 1,166 | 2.4 | — | A | A | B |
| Eye | 2,211 | 3.1 | — | A− | B | B |
| Roydon (South Norfolk) | 1,117 | 3.1 | — | A | A− | B− |
| Stradbroke | 1,190 | 6 | — | A− | A+ | A− |
| Harleston | 5,077 | 6.5 | B− | A− | B | B− |
| Gislingham | 1,172 | 6.6 | — | A | A | A |
Dickleburgh, Eye, Roydon (South Norfolk), Stradbroke and Gislingham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Scole
How many listed buildings are there in Scole?
That is 6.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Scole Inn.
Are schools in Scole good?
GCSE results trail 75% of towns in England, and primary results trail 87% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Norfolk council.
About Scole
Village in Norfolk, England
Scole is a built-up area of 1,037 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
- 1,037 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003010
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.