Swainsthorpe’s story
5 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Swainsthorpe’s built-up area.
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SwainsthorpeNorfolk
Some 392 people live in this village, in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Sandy Gerrard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
392
Census 2021 · South Norfolk council
Median home
£301K
10 sales in 3 years
Median age
47.7
24% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
32%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Swainsthorpe a good place to live?
Swainsthorpe is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. Nearly one in ten commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 5 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. 24% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Swainsthorpe stand out
The 3 things Swainsthorpe does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Peter; 5.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
24% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Swainsthorpe.
Who lives here
Fewer children live in Swainsthorpe than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 14% are under 15
Residents of Swainsthorpe have a median age of 47.7. Just over a tenth of the population is aged 15 to 24, higher than Norfolk’s towns (11%) and near England’s towns (12%). Graduates make up 32% of adults.
47.7median age
SwainsthorpeNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level32%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Swainsthorpe | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Swainsthorpe work nearby than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 12% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Before tax, the average household brings in £61K a year. 88% of commuters drove, above Norfolk’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Home was the main workplace for 38% of workers at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
Underground, tram1%
12%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£61K
mean household income, before tax
2.6%
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
Most households in Swainsthorpe own their home: 83%, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
The private rented sector houses 14% of households. Social housing holds 3% of households, below both Norfolk’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Behind the median of £301,250: 10 standard sales inside Swainsthorpe’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£301Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Swainsthorpe£301K
Typical UK town£277K
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£981
average private rent a month, South Norfolk council area
£2,460
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
Swainsthorpe records less violent crime per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 1.7 per 1,000 a year
Reported offences in Swainsthorpe came to 3 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 1. Property crime (burglary and damage) runs at 0.9 per 1,000 residents a year. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 3.4 reports per 1,000, below both Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8).
1.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Violence & sexual0
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Drugs0
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.
1.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
3
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
Just 2.5% of people in Swainsthorpe say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
Self-reported good health: 86% of Swainsthorpe’s residents. At the census, 15% of people here had a disability, below both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%). There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 3 miles off.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Swainsthorpe | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.5% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 15% | 20% | 17% |
82.2
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
Swainsthorpe is rich in listed buildings: 128 per 10,000 residents, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
9% of homes date from before 1919.
5listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II4
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Peter Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
128
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 Swainsthorpe
13pages on Swainsthorpe
The big questions
Safety1.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £301K · rent £981 a monthHousingSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.2 (men), 84.5 (women)Work & commute57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Swainsthorpe’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Stoke Holy CrossMulbartonNewton FlotmanPoringlandCringlefordHethersettLittle MeltonSwainsthorpe
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swainsthorpe | 392 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stoke Holy Cross | 1,237 | 1.2 | — | B− | A− | A |
| Mulbarton | 3,807 | 1.6 | A | A− | A+ | A− |
| Newton Flotman | 1,418 | 1.8 | — | A− | B+ | A− |
| Poringland | 7,105 | 3.1 | A | B+ | B+ | A |
| Cringleford | 4,686 | 3.4 | A− | B− | C+ | A |
| Hethersett | 7,018 | 4.9 | A | B+ | B | B+ |
| Little Melton | 1,049 | 5.1 | — | C+ | A− | A |
Stoke Holy Cross, Newton Flotman and Little Melton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Swainsthorpe
How many listed buildings are there in Swainsthorpe?
That is 5.2 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Swainsthorpe expensive to live in?
Close to the typical UK town: the median sale over three years was £301,250, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the South Norfolk council area averaged £981 a month in August 2026.
About Swainsthorpe
Village in Norfolk, England
Swainsthorpe is a built-up area of 392 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
- 392 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002679
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.