Shouldham’s story
7 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Shouldham’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ShouldhamNorfolk
A village of 651 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
651
Census 2021 · King's Lynn and West Norfolk council
Median home
£308K
21 sales in 3 years
Median age
54.6
36% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
29%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Shouldham a good place to live?
Shouldham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Shouldham stand out
The 3 things Shouldham does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 4.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
36% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shouldham.
Who lives here
An older town: 36% of people in Shouldham are 65 or over, more than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns
For Shouldham, that is above both Norfolk’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 7.4% of the population. The median resident of Shouldham is 54.6 years old.
54.6median age
ShouldhamNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
36%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications26%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level29%
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
About 82 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.
| Shouldham | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.4% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 36% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 26% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.5% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Shouldham
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Martin At Shouldham Church of England Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 153 | B+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Shouldham work nearby than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 18% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Shouldham sits below both Norfolk’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%) on this measure. At the census, 11% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot6%
Bus3%
Bicycle2%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
32%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£57K
mean household income, before tax
1%
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
More households own their home in Shouldham than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 87%
That puts Shouldham above both Norfolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). 1% of households live in social housing.
£308Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Shouldham£308K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £360,000 | 14 |
| Semi-detached | £196,955 | 5 |
87%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£941
average private rent a month, King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area
£2,455
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
Shouldham records less violent crime per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 8.7 per 1,000 a year
On this, Shouldham is below both Norfolk’s towns (18.9) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 15 crimes inside Shouldham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 60% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
8.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Drugs2
Damage & arson1
Other theft1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Anti-social1
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.
8.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
15
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
More people in Shouldham live with a disability than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 24%
In the comparison, Shouldham comes above both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%). Shouldham has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.6 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.
76%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Shouldham | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.6% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 20% | 17% |
80.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Shouldham: 22% were built before 1919, more than in 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.
Shouldham has 108 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above both Norfolk’s towns (44) and England’s towns (39). Shouldham has 7 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
7listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II7
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
22%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
108
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 →Panavia Tornado GR1 and 2 more in and around Shouldham
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Shouldham. Best known first.
Historic siteHistoric sitePanavia Tornado GR14.5 km outside town, to the eastCastleCastlePentney Abbey Gatehouse3.4 km outside town, to the northeastWildlife parkWildlife parkWatatunga Wildlife Reserve4.5 km outside town, to the northwest
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shouldham
14pages on Shouldham
The big questions
Safety8.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £308K · rent £941 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 80.6 (men), 84.6 (women)Work & commute50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards1.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Shouldham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MarhamWatlingtonNarboroughWest WinchDownham MarketStoke FerryGaytonShouldham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shouldham | 651 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marham | 2,608 | 2.7 | A− | B− | A+ | B |
| Watlington | 2,593 | 3.8 | D | C | B+ | C |
| Narborough | 1,362 | 5 | — | B− | B− | C+ |
| West Winch | 2,828 | 5.1 | C+ | D | A− | B |
| Downham Market | 11,349 | 5.4 | C | C− | B− | C |
| Stoke Ferry | 1,191 | 5.9 | — | D | B+ | C |
| Gayton | 1,522 | 6.9 | — | C− | B− | B− |
Narborough, Stoke Ferry and Gayton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Shouldham
How many listed buildings are there in Shouldham?
That is 4.4 times the typical UK town for its size. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Is Shouldham expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £307,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £196,955 and detached houses £360,000. Private rents in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area averaged £941 a month in August 2026.
About Shouldham
Village in Norfolk, England
Shouldham is a built-up area of 651 people, in the King's Lynn and West 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
- 651 (Census 2021)
- Council
- King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002529
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.