South Walsham’s story
7 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside South Walsham’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
South WalshamNorfolk
The village, home to 409 people, lies in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Grant Brewer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
409
Census 2021 · Broadland council
Median home
£275K
15 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.2
19% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is South Walsham a good place to live?
South Walsham is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. 8% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 7, with 1 at Grade I.
What makes South Walsham stand out
The 2 things South Walsham does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in South Walsham.
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 13% in South Walsham, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 40% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
89% of commuters drove, higher than both Norfolk’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%), and on top of that the census counted 40% of workers working mainly from home. About 1% of its commuters stay in South Walsham for work. Before tax, the average household brings in £56K a year.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot4%
Bicycle3%
Bus2%
13%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
40%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£56K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
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 in South Walsham live in social housing than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 29%
Private renters make up 9% of households. 15 standard sales inside South Walsham’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £275,000. Home ownership stands at three in five households.
£275Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
South Walsham£275K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £340,000 | 5 |
| Semi-detached | £257,950 | 10 |
60%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£938
average private rent a month, Broadland council area
£2,396
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
South Walsham records less burglary and damage per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 1.6 per 1,000 a year
Police figures for South Walsham’s built-up area: 13 crimes and 1 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. 92% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Also worth knowing: there were 4.1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
22violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual12
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
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.
22
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
13
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.
Health
In South Walsham, 81% say their health is good or very good
South Walsham has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.4 miles away. Disability touches 21% of the town’s population. The nearest A&E to South Walsham is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 11.7 miles away.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | South Walsham | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 20% | 17% |
80.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · 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.
History
South Walsham is rich in listed buildings: 171 per 10,000 residents, more than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
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 just over a tenth of the total. South Walsham’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I.
7listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II5
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
171
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up 20% of South Walsham, above Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
7.8% of the population is aged 15 to 24, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). At 46.2, the median resident of South Walsham sits in the middle of the age range. Graduates make up 35% of adults.
46.2median age
South WalshamNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
19%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 86 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| South Walsham | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.8% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 19% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.6% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St Benet's Abbey and 3 more in and around South Walsham
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near South Walsham. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · English HeritageSt Benet's Abbey2.5 km outside town, to the northeastGardenGardenFairhaven Woodland and Water Garden300 m outside town, to the northeastAbbey or prioryAbbey or priorySaint Benet's Abbey Drainage Mill2.5 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumWoodbastwick Forge3.5 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- St Benet's Abbey: Wonderwoman72uk, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Walsham
14pages on South Walsham
The big questions
Safety22 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £275K · rent £938 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 months · busiest street Panxworth RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.5 (men), 84.5 (women)Work & commute52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
South Walsham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Blofield HeathBlofieldLingwoodAcleSalhouseLittle PlumsteadBrundallSouth Walsham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Walsham | 409 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Blofield Heath | 1,430 | 2.2 | — | B− | A | B+ |
| Blofield | 2,667 | 2.6 | B | B+ | B+ | B |
| Lingwood | 2,368 | 2.8 | — | A | B+ | B+ |
| Acle | 2,268 | 3 | — | A− | C+ | B− |
| Salhouse | 1,431 | 3.3 | — | B | A+ | B+ |
| Little Plumstead | 1,915 | 3.3 | — | B+ | B+ | B+ |
| Brundall | 4,378 | 3.6 | A− | B+ | A | B |
Blofield Heath, Lingwood, Acle, Salhouse and Little Plumstead have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about South Walsham
How many listed buildings are there in South Walsham?
That is 7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
How much is council tax in South Walsham?
Band D council tax in South Walsham is £2,396 for 2026–27, less than in 59% 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 South Walsham
Village in Norfolk, England
South Walsham is a built-up area of 409 people, in the Broadland 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
- 409 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Broadland
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002442
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.