Walpole Cross Keys’s story
No listed buildings inside Walpole Cross Keys’s built-up area
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Walpole Cross KeysNorfolk
Population 562: a village in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Richard Humphrey · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
562
Census 2021 · King's Lynn and West Norfolk council
Median home
£295K
35 sales in 3 years
Median age
42.4
18% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
3%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Walpole Cross Keys a good place to live?
Walpole Cross Keys has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 3% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Just over a fifth of adults have a degree-level qualification. 41% of households own their home outright.
What makes Walpole Cross Keys stand out
The 3 things Walpole Cross Keys does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
3% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Norfolk 26%.
Own outright
Housing
41% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Walpole Cross Keys.
Who lives here
Fewer people in Walpole Cross Keys hold a degree than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 22%
Those 65 and older account for 18% of residents. 17% are under 15, between Norfolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). The middle age in Walpole Cross Keys is 42.4.
42.4median age
Walpole Cross KeysNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
12%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar23%
Degree level22%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Walpole Cross Keys | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 18% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 23% | 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 Walpole Cross Keys
Below is its only school. 50% of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one primary school teaches 52 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walpole Cross Keys Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 52 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Walpole Cross Keys: 17% commute under 5 km, below Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 20% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
20% of workers worked mainly from home, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (25%) and England’s towns (31%). Household income averages £47K a year before tax. About 2% of its commuters stay in Walpole Cross Keys for work. Among 16 to 64s, 2% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
3%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving97%
On foot1%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
20%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£47K
mean household income, before tax
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
Most households in Walpole Cross Keys own their home: 85%, more than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
Social housing holds 8% of households, below Norfolk’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. 6% of households rent privately. Private rents average £941 a month across the King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area.
£295Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Walpole Cross Keys£295K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £372,500 | 18 |
| Semi-detached | £275,500 | 13 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£941
average private rent a month, King's Lynn and West Norfolk council area
£2,442
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
Homes in Walpole Cross Keys see less burglary and damage than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 1.2 per 1,000 a year
Each year, 10.7 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 8 offences in Walpole Cross Keys and 2 cases of nuisance behaviour. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 38% of recorded crime. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1.8 reports per 1,000, below Norfolk’s towns (5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
10.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Other theft3
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social2
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.
10.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
8
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
82% of residents say their health is good or very good
There is no GP practice in Walpole Cross Keys: the nearest is 2.1 miles off. At the census, 17% of people here had a disability, below Norfolk’s towns (20%) and close to England’s towns (17%). The nearest A&E to Walpole Cross Keys is The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 8.3 miles away.
82%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Walpole Cross Keys | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.9% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 20% | 17% |
78.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
Walpole Cross Keys keeps more of its old housing than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 19% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Walpole Cross Keys’s built-up area.
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
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 Walpole Cross Keys
12pages on Walpole Cross Keys
The big questions
Safety10.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £295K · rent £941 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street Sutton RoadSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 78.3 (men), 83.4 (women)Work & commute38% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards69.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Walpole Cross Keys’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Terrington St ClementWalpole St Peter and Walpole St AndrewSutton BridgeTilney St LawrenceClenchwartonLong SuttonMarshland St JamesWalpole Cross Keys
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walpole Cross Keys | 562 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Terrington St Clement | 2,792 | 1.9 | D− | D | C | C |
| Walpole St Peter and Walpole St Andrew | 1,574 | 2 | — | C | B+ | C− |
| Sutton Bridge | 3,912 | 2.9 | D | B | C− | D |
| Tilney St Lawrence | 1,504 | 3.9 | — | C+ | B | C |
| Clenchwarton | 2,020 | 4.2 | — | C | A | C |
| Long Sutton | 5,377 | 5.8 | D− | C+ | C | C− |
| Marshland St James | 1,025 | 6.1 | — | D | B+ | C− |
Walpole St Peter and Walpole St Andrew, Tilney St Lawrence, Clenchwarton and Marshland St James have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Walpole Cross Keys
Is Walpole Cross Keys expensive to live in?
Close to the typical UK town: the median sale over three years was £295,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £275,500 and detached houses £372,500.
How much is council tax in Walpole Cross Keys?
Band D council tax in Walpole Cross Keys is £2,442 for 2026–27, less than in 50% 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 Walpole Cross Keys
Village in Norfolk, England
Walpole Cross Keys is a built-up area of 562 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
- 562 (Census 2021)
- Council
- King's Lynn and West Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002299
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.