Sporle’s story
3 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Sporle’s built-up area.
13% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SporleNorfolk
With 791 residents, it is a village in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
791
Census 2021 · Breckland council
Median home
£215K
32 sales in 3 years
Median age
54.6
32% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sporle a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Sporle has no grades; its figures are still real. 6% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It skews older: nearly a third of residents are 65 or over. Just over a fifth of adults have a degree-level qualification.
What makes Sporle stand out
The 3 things Sporle does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
32% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Norfolk 26%.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sporle.
Who lives here
An older town: 32% of people in Sporle are 65 or over, more than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
People aged 15 to 24 make up nearly a tenth of the town. Children under 15 make up 12%, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Residents of Sporle have a median age of 54.6. Graduates make up 22% of adults.
54.6median age
SporleNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications24%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level22%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Sporle | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 32% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Sporle
The town has one school, shown below. Its one primary school teaches 83 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sporle Church of England Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 83 | D− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Only 18% of Sporle’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in both 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.
Driving is how nine in ten commuters got to work at the census. Working mainly from home: just over a fifth of workers, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (31%). Also worth knowing: the 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 3.3%. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot3%
Bus1%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
18%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
mean household income, before tax
3.3%
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
Few households rent privately in Sporle: 9%, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The median sale price was £215K, below Norfolk’s towns (£280K) and England’s towns (£308K) alike. Owners make up 71% of households. Private rents average £928 a month across the Breckland council area.
£215Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sporle£215K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £287,500 | 18 |
| Semi-detached | £145,000 | 13 |
71%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£928
average private rent a month, Breckland council area
£2,451
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
Violence is recorded more often in Sporle than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 27.4 per 1,000 residents a year
There were 22.3 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Over the year to August 2026, 25 offences were reported in Sporle, along with 12 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 52% of the crimes.
27.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual13
Public order3
Other theft3
Damage & arson2
Other crime2
Burglary1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social12
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.
27.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
22.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
25
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
Bad health is more common in Sporle than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 6.5% of residents
At the census, 78% of people in Sporle called their health good or very good, near Norfolk’s towns (79%) and lower than England’s towns (82%). There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 2.1 miles off. The nearest A&E to Sporle is The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 13.5 miles away.
78%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Sporle | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.5% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 20% | 17% |
81.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
The Church of St Mary (Grade I) heads Sporle’s short list of listed buildings
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Sporle’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. 13% of its homes were built before 1919, below both Norfolk’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (16%).
3listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II2
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
13%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
38
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 →Castle Acre Priory and 2 more in and around Sporle
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sporle. Best known first.
Abbey or priory · English HeritageCastle Acre Priory4.4 km outside town, to the northwest
Fort · English HeritageCastle Acre Castle4.2 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumSwaffham Heritage3.3 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Castle Acre Priory: Adrian Farwell, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castle Acre Castle: John Fielding from Norwich, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sporle
13pages on Sporle
The big questions
Safety27.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £215K · rent £928 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street The StreetSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.2 (men), 83 (women)Work & commute47% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Sporle’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
NectonSwaffhamAshillNarboroughSaham ToneyShipdhamWattonSporle
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sporle | 791 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Necton | 1,742 | 2.3 | — | C+ | A | B− |
| Swaffham | 8,434 | 2.4 | D | C+ | C | C− |
| Ashill | 1,252 | 4.7 | — | C+ | B | B− |
| Narborough | 1,362 | 6.3 | — | B− | B− | C+ |
| Saham Toney | 1,287 | 6.4 | — | C | A | B− |
| Shipdham | 2,459 | 7.4 | — | C+ | A− | B− |
| Watton | 11,549 | 7.9 | C+ | B− | C+ | C |
Necton, Ashill, Narborough, Saham Toney and Shipdham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sporle
Is Sporle expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £145,000 and detached houses £287,500.
How many listed buildings are there in Sporle?
3 on Historic England’s list, 1 of them Grade I. That is 1.6 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
About Sporle
Village in Norfolk, England
Sporle is a built-up area of 791 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
- 791 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Breckland
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002482
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.