Badwell Ash’s story
10 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Badwell Ash’s built-up area.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Badwell AshSuffolk
A village of 379 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Geographer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
379
Census 2021 · Mid Suffolk council
Median home
£350K
30 sales in 3 years
Median age
56.2
33% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
24%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Badwell Ash a good place to live?
Badwell Ash has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Badwell Ash stand out
The 3 things Badwell Ash 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 I, including Church of St Mary; 10.8 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
33% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Badwell Ash.
Who lives here
Children make up only 11% of Badwell Ash, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
A third of residents are 65 or over, above Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. People aged 15 to 24 are a tenth of the population. The middle age in Badwell Ash is 56.2.
56.2median age
Badwell AshSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level24%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Badwell Ash | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.7% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 24% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Badwell Ash than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 5%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Household income came to £64K a year before tax, above Suffolk’s towns (£57K) and England’s towns (£55K) alike. Driving is how 93% of commuters got to work at the census. Of the commuters living in Badwell Ash, 1% work in the town itself. 15% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot4%
Train1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
32%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£64K
mean household income, before tax
3%
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
Few households rent privately in Badwell Ash: 14%, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
Owners make up 70% of households, above Suffolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. The median sale, £350,000, comes from 30 standard sales inside Badwell Ash’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026. Private rents average £1,005 a month across the Mid Suffolk council area.
£350Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Badwell Ash£350K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £400,000 | 19 |
| Semi-detached | £289,500 | 10 |
70%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,005
average private rent a month, Mid Suffolk council area
£2,297
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
Burglary and damage hit Badwell Ash harder than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 12.3 per 1,000 residents a year
Police recorded 19 crimes inside Badwell Ash’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence came to 27.3 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Suffolk’s towns (19) and England’s towns (22).
27.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual11
Other theft4
Damage & arson2
Burglary2
Shoplifting0
Public order0
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.
27.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
19
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
Bad health is less common in Badwell Ash than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.4% of residents
84% of people in Badwell Ash rate their own health good or very good. At the census, 16% of people here had a disability, lower than both Suffolk’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Also worth knowing: the nearest A&E to Badwell Ash is West Suffolk Hospital, 9.4 miles away.
84%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Badwell Ash | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.4% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Badwell Ash is rich in listed buildings: 264 per 10,000 residents, more than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 22% of the housing. Badwell Ash’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. It has 10 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*.
10listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II8
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
22%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
264
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 Badwell Ash
13pages on Badwell Ash
The big questions
Safety27.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £350K · rent £1,005 a monthHousing10 sold in 12 months · busiest street The StreetSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.3 (men), 86.4 (women)Work & commute53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Badwell Ash’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Walsham le WillowsElmswellStantonIxworthWoolpitBacton and CottonThurstonBadwell Ash
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badwell Ash | 379 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Walsham le Willows | 1,258 | 1.7 | — | A− | A | A |
| Elmswell | 4,446 | 3.1 | A− | A− | B | A− |
| Stanton | 2,316 | 3.3 | — | B− | A | B |
| Ixworth | 2,296 | 3.6 | — | C | B | A− |
| Woolpit | 1,838 | 4.2 | — | B+ | C+ | B+ |
| Bacton and Cotton | 1,567 | 4.4 | — | A− | A | A− |
| Thurston | 3,009 | 5 | B+ | B+ | C | A |
Walsham le Willows, Stanton, Ixworth, Woolpit and Bacton and Cotton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Badwell Ash
How many listed buildings are there in Badwell Ash?
That is 10.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
Is Badwell Ash expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £350,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £289,500 and detached houses £400,000.
About Badwell Ash
Village in Suffolk, England
Badwell Ash is a built-up area of 379 people, in the Mid Suffolk 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
- 379 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Mid Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003214
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.