Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
906 people call this village in Suffolk, East of England home.
Barnby and North Cove is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. 8% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. People aged 65 and over make up 36% of residents. 57% of households own their home with no mortgage.
The 3 things Barnby and North Cove does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Barnby and North Cove’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Barnby and North Cove.
People aged 15 to 24 make up 7.3% of the town. Half the people of Barnby and North Cove are older than 57. Degrees are held by 29% of adults.
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Barnby and North Cove | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 36% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Key Stage 2 results at the 2 primary schools within 3 km: 62% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below. 91 pupils attend Barnby and North Cove’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnby and North Cove Community Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 91 | D |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 25% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Work in town: 2% of resident commuters. Driving is how 88% of commuters got to work at the census. After the car, walking came next, for 4% of commuters.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
8% of households rent privately. Social housing holds 6% of households, lower than both Suffolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £842 a month across the East Suffolk council area.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £377,500 | 24 |
| Semi-detached | £295,000 | 11 |
| Terraced | £250,000 | 6 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
There were 1.8 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Suffolk’s towns (3.9) and England’s towns (7.8). Police recorded 23 crimes inside Barnby and North Cove’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Burglary and damage add up to 4.4 per 1,000 residents each year. Violence and sexual offences were 65% of the crimes.
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.
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.
There is no GP practice in Barnby and North Cove: the nearest is 3 miles off. At the census, 79% of people in Barnby and North Cove called their health good or very good, below both Suffolk’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Barnby and North Cove is James Paget Hospital, 8.5 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Barnby and North Cove | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.3% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
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.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For its size, Barnby and North Cove has 22 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Historic England’s list names 2 listed buildings locally: 1 Grade II*. 11% of homes date from before 1919.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Barnby and North Cove. Best known first.
MuseumEast Anglia Transport Museum2.5 km outside town, to the east
Historic houseSotterley Hall Estate4.1 km outside town, to the south
MuseumBeccles and District Museum4.5 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumLowestoft Museum4.6 km outside town, to the northeastZooZooOulton Broad Mini Zoo4.5 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Village in Suffolk, England
Barnby and North Cove is a built-up area of 906 people, in the East 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnby and North Cove | 906 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Worlingham | 3,618 | 1.9 | A | A− | A | B+ |
| Beccles | 9,807 | 2.8 | B | A | C | C |
| Lowestoft | 71,308 | 4 | C+ | A | D | C− |
| Kessingland | 4,242 | 4 | B | A | B | C+ |
| Thurlton | 1,145 | 6.4 | — | A− | A− | B |
| Corton | 1,134 | 6.5 | — | A | B+ | B− |
| Hopton on Sea | 2,575 | 7.3 | C− | D | C | C |
Thurlton and Corton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Band D council tax in Barnby and North Cove is £2,282 for 2026–27, less than in 77% 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.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £309,250, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £250,000, semi-detached houses £295,000 and detached houses £377,500.
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.