Whissonsett’s story
8 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Whissonsett’s built-up area.
35% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WhissonsettNorfolk
Population 467: a village in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Evelyn Simak · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
467
Census 2021 · Breckland council
Median home
£390K
17 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.3
31% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Whissonsett a good place to live?
Grades need 1,000 residents, so Whissonsett has none; the figures on this page are still real. Walking, cycling and public transport carry 7% of commuters. 8 buildings are listed here, 0 at Grade I. People aged 65 and over make up 31% of residents.
What makes Whissonsett stand out
The 3 things Whissonsett does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% 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; 7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Whissonsett.
Who lives here
Whissonsett has fewer young adults than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 8.2% are 15 to 24
Children under 15 count for 16% of the people here. Ages in Whissonsett split evenly at 52.3: half are older, half younger. Among adults, 27% have a degree.
52.3median age
WhissonsettNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Whissonsett | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.3% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Commuters in Whissonsett travel far: only 6% go under 5 km, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 2% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below both Norfolk’s towns (2.5%) and England’s towns (2.3%). At the census, nine in ten commuters went by car. There are 0.2 jobs in Whissonsett for each resident in work.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot5%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
6%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
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
Homes in Whissonsett cost more than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns, with a median sale of £390K
Private rents average £928 a month across the Breckland council area. 18% rent privately, about level with Norfolk’s towns (19%) and below England’s towns (21%). Home ownership stands at 64% of households.
£390Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Whissonsett£390K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £545,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £340,000 | 5 |
64%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£928
average private rent a month, Breckland council area
£2,382
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 Whissonsett see more burglary and damage than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 10 per 1,000 a year
Reported offences in Whissonsett came to 28 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 6. Violence came to 24.3 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Norfolk’s towns (18.9) and England’s towns (22).
24.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual16
Damage & arson6
Public order2
Other crime2
Other theft1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Anti-social6
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.
24.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
28
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
Most people in Whissonsett (80%) report good or very good health
The nearest A&E to Whissonsett is The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 16.6 miles away. There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 4.2 miles off. At the census, nearly a fifth of people here had a disability, between Norfolk’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (17%).
80%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Whissonsett | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 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 · Young towns look healthier on these answers, which aren’t adjusted for age; the Health Grade uses measures that are, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Old homes shape Whissonsett: 35% were built before 1919, 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.
Whissonsett has 171 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above Norfolk’s towns (44) and England’s towns (39) alike.
8listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II7
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Mary Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
35%
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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Whissonsett
14pages on Whissonsett
The big questions
Safety24.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £390K · rent £928 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street London StreetSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.2 (men), 83 (women)Work & commute50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Whissonsett’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
FakenhamNorth ElmhamFoulshamSwanton MorleyDerehamNectonMelton ConstableWhissonsett
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whissonsett | 467 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fakenham | 8,390 | 4.2 | D | D | B− | C |
| North Elmham | 1,172 | 4.7 | — | C | A | B |
| Foulsham | 1,025 | 7 | — | A | B+ | B |
| Swanton Morley | 2,175 | 7.2 | — | C+ | A− | B |
| Dereham | 20,788 | 7.9 | C− | B− | C− | C+ |
| Necton | 1,742 | 9.1 | — | C+ | A | B− |
| Melton Constable | 1,176 | 9.9 | — | C+ | A− | B |
North Elmham, Foulsham, Swanton Morley, Necton and Melton Constable have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Whissonsett
How many listed buildings are there in Whissonsett?
That is 7 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Whissonsett expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £340,000 and detached houses £545,000.
About Whissonsett
Village in Norfolk, England
Whissonsett is a built-up area of 467 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
- 467 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Breckland
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002247
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.