Swardeston’s story
9 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Swardeston’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SwardestonNorfolk
A village of 639 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Geographer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
639
Census 2021 · South Norfolk council
Median home
£428K
34 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.7
32% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Swardeston a good place to live?
Swardeston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Swardeston stand out
The 3 things Swardeston does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% 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 Mary; 5.8 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
32% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Swardeston.
Who lives here
An older town: 32% of people in Swardeston are 65 or over, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
Ages in Swardeston split evenly at 52.7: half are older, half younger. 13% are under 15, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Aged 15 to 24: 7.1% of residents.
52.7median age
SwardestonNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 85 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.
| Swardeston | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.1% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 32% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.1% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
The car carries 92% of commuters in Swardeston, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 5% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below both Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (27%). For 21% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. Household income averages £61K a year before tax.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot2%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£61K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
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 Swardeston than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 83%
Renting privately is how 13% of households live. Social housing holds 3% of households, below both Norfolk’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Behind the median of £428,000: 34 standard sales inside Swardeston’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£428Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Swardeston£428K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £470,150 | 24 |
| Semi-detached | £280,000 | 7 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£981
average private rent a month, South Norfolk council area
£2,390
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
Swardeston records less violent crime per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 7.3 per 1,000 a year
Burglary and damage come to 2.6 per 1,000 residents a year. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 10 recorded crimes inside Swardeston’s built-up area, and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. There were 0.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Violence and sexual offences made up four fifths of the total.
7.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual8
Public order1
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Other theft0
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.
7.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.6
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)
10
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
84% of people in Swardeston say their health is good or very good, more than in Norfolk’s towns and across England’s towns
17% of residents have a disability, below Norfolk’s towns (20%) and close to England’s towns (17%). There is no GP practice in Swardeston: the nearest is 1.9 miles off. The nearest A&E to Swardeston is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 3.1 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Swardeston | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.1% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 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 · 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
More buildings in Swardeston are listed than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 141 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Swardeston counts 9 listed buildings on the national list (Historic England): 1 Grade II*. 20% of homes were built before 1919.
9listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II8
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
141
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 Swardeston
14pages on Swardeston
The big questions
Safety7.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £428K · rent £981 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Bobbins WaySchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.2 (men), 84.5 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Famous people from Swardeston
3 notable people were born in Swardeston.
D
David ThomasEnglish cricketer, born 1963P
Peter ThomasEnglish cricketer, born 1952Photo credits
Edith Cavell: The original uploader was Vivedatica at Dutch Wikipedia., Public domain
Swardeston’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MulbartonCringlefordStoke Holy CrossNewton FlotmanHethersettLittle MeltonPoringlandSwardeston
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swardeston | 639 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mulbarton | 3,807 | 1.5 | A | A− | A+ | A− |
| Cringleford | 4,686 | 2.1 | A− | B− | C+ | A |
| Stoke Holy Cross | 1,237 | 2.4 | — | B− | A− | A |
| Newton Flotman | 1,418 | 2.7 | — | A− | B+ | A− |
| Hethersett | 7,018 | 3.4 | A | B+ | B | B+ |
| Little Melton | 1,049 | 3.7 | — | C+ | A− | A |
| Poringland | 7,105 | 4.1 | A | B+ | B+ | 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 Swardeston
How many listed buildings are there in Swardeston?
That is 5.8 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Swardeston expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £428,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £280,000 and detached houses £470,150. Private rents in the South Norfolk council area averaged £981 a month in August 2026.
About Swardeston
Village in Norfolk, England
Swardeston is a built-up area of 639 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
- 639 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002652
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.