Wortwell’s story
9 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Wortwell’s built-up area.
29% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WortwellNorfolk
A village of 559 in Norfolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Adrian Cable · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
559
Census 2021 · South Norfolk council
Median home
£330K
24 sales in 3 years
Median age
56.5
34% are 65+ · Norfolk 24%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Wortwell a good place to live?
Wortwell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Wortwell stand out
The 3 things Wortwell 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
0 Grade II*; 6.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
34% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wortwell.
Who lives here
Children make up only 11% of Wortwell, fewer than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
The 15-to-24 age group: 7%, below both Norfolk’s towns (11%) and England’s towns (12%). People 65 and over make up 34% of the town. The age that splits Wortwell in two is 56.5. Among adults, 28% have a degree.
56.5median age
WortwellNorfolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
34%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 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.
| Wortwell | Norfolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 34% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.8% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 26% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Wortwell walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns: 5%
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.
93% of commuters drove to work at the census. Short trips to work, under 5 km: 30%, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (42%) and England’s towns (45%). The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 2.9%. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot5%
Bicycle1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
2.9%
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 Wortwell own their home: 81%, more than in both Norfolk’s towns and England’s towns
8% rent privately, lower than both Norfolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Social renters account for 11% of households. Private rents average £981 a month across the South Norfolk council area.
£330Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Wortwell£330K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £364,000 | 15 |
| Semi-detached | £228,750 | 8 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£981
average private rent a month, South Norfolk council area
£2,548
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
Wortwell records less burglary and damage per resident than Norfolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 4.2 per 1,000 a year
Violence came to 12.5 per 1,000 residents a year, below Norfolk’s towns (18.9) and England’s towns (22) alike. Police recorded 10 crimes inside Wortwell’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. 90% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
12.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Anti-social0
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.
12.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.4
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
More people in Wortwell live with a disability than in Norfolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 23%
77% of people in Wortwell rate their own health good or very good. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.1 miles away. The nearest A&E to Wortwell is Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, 15 miles away.
77%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Wortwell | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 20% | 17% |
80.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
History
Wortwell keeps more of its old housing than Norfolk or England’s towns: 29% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Relative to its size, Wortwell keeps 161 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Its heritage register entries (9 listed buildings) are all Grade II.
9listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II9
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
29%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
161
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 →Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum and 2 more in and around Wortwell
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Wortwell. Best known first.
MuseumNorfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum3.6 km outside town, to the northeast · 40K visitors a yearPark or estatePark or estate · National TrustDarrow Wood (National Trust)4.1 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumKing George's Hall & Museum2.8 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 (1)
- Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum: Ashley Dace, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wortwell
13pages on Wortwell
The big questions
Safety12.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £330K · rent £981 a monthHousing10 sold in 12 months · busiest street High RoadSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.6 (men), 84.6 (women)Work & commute49% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards3.5% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Wortwell’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HarlestonBungayDitchinghamDickleburghLong StrattonStradbrokeLaxfieldWortwell
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wortwell | 559 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harleston | 5,077 | 2.1 | B− | A− | B | B− |
| Bungay | 5,012 | 4.9 | C+ | A | C+ | B− |
| Ditchingham | 1,997 | 5.7 | — | A | A | B |
| Dickleburgh | 1,166 | 6.8 | — | A | A | B |
| Long Stratton | 5,218 | 7 | A− | A | B | B+ |
| Stradbroke | 1,190 | 7.4 | — | A− | A+ | A− |
| Laxfield | 1,004 | 7.9 | — | B | A+ | A− |
Ditchingham, Dickleburgh, Stradbroke and Laxfield have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Wortwell
Who lives in Wortwell?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 34% of residents were 65 or over and 32% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 11% were under 15.
How many listed buildings are there in Wortwell?
That is 6.6 times the typical UK town for its size. 29% of Wortwell’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
How much is council tax in Wortwell?
Band D council tax in Wortwell is £2,548 for 2026–27, more than in 76% 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 Wortwell
Village in Norfolk, England
Wortwell is a built-up area of 559 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
- 559 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Norfolk
- County
- Norfolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002928
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.