Barrow’s story
17 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Barrow’s built-up area.
16% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BarrowSuffolk
A village of 1,961 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robin Webster · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,961
Census 2021 · West Suffolk council
Median home
£345K
85 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.3
25% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Barrow a good place to live?
Barrow has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is walkability (D): 8% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £345,000 in the last three years, 6.2 times what households in the West Suffolk council area earn in a year.
What makes Barrow stand out
The 3 things Barrow does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% 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*; 3.6 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
25% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Barrow grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Barrow is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityDOpen →Hazard riskAOpen →SafetyAOpen →Cost of livingrent £1,183 a monthCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 81.4 for men, 82.9 for womenB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 59% of towns in EnglandBOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £63,435; 2.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryB−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 1.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life5.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Barrow.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Fewer commuters in Barrow work nearby than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 9% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Barrow, that is below both Suffolk’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (45%). 91% of commuters drove to work at the census.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot6%
Bicycle1%
Bus1%
9%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
31%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£63K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 12% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsB
Results at Barrow’s schools beat 61% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
BSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 199 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Barrow has less crime per resident than 86% of UK towns
Violence came to 12.6 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Suffolk’s towns (19.2) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 42 crimes inside Barrow’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 0 reports of anti-social behaviour. Homes see 5.8 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.
12.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 74% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual21
Damage & arson8
Burglary4
Vehicle crime3
Other theft2
Other crime2
Drugs1
Weapons1
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.
12.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
42
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Who lives here
Barrow skews older, with 25% of residents 65 or over, more than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
Barrow sits above both Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. Children under 15 make up 18% of residents. The median resident of Barrow is 45.3 years old.
45.3median age
BarrowSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Barrow | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.8% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C
Private renting is less common in Barrow than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 11%
That puts Barrow below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). 71% of households own their home.
£345Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Barrow£345K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £395,000 | 39 |
| Semi-detached | £322,000 | 27 |
| Terraced | £280,000 | 17 |
71%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,183
average private rent a month, West Suffolk council area
£2,283
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
82% of residents say their health is good or very good
82% of Barrow’s residents described their health as good or very good in 2021, against 81% across Suffolk’s towns. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
82%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Barrow | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.5% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
81.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
17 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Barrow has 17 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 16% of its homes were built before 1919.
17listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II17
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
16%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
87
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 →Ickworth House and 2 more in and around Barrow
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Barrow. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustIckworth House4.8 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttraction · National TrustThe Ice House3.9 km outside town, to the eastHistoric siteHistoric siteThe Obelisk4.8 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Ickworth House: Squeezyboy, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Barrow
14pages on Barrow
The big questions
SafetyA12.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £345K · rent £1,183 a monthHousing34 sold in 12 months · busiest street Simpson WaySchoolsB1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 81.4 (men), 82.9 (women)Work & commuteB48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Barrow’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
KentfordBury St EdmundsRed LodgeNewmarketCock and EndMildenhallGreat BartonBarrow
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrow | 1,961 | — | — | C | A | B+ |
| Kentford | 1,124 | 4.2 | — | C− | B | A− |
| Bury St Edmunds | 41,279 | 5.5 | C+ | B− | C− | B− |
| Red Lodge | 5,771 | 5.6 | C+ | B− | C | A− |
| Newmarket | 18,857 | 7.6 | B− | B− | C− | B− |
| Cock and End | 1,346 | 7.8 | — | C+ | D− | B− |
| Mildenhall | 9,684 | 7.9 | C− | B | C− | C |
| Great Barton | 1,848 | 8.2 | — | D | A+ | A |
Kentford, Cock and End and Great Barton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Barrow
How many listed buildings are there in Barrow?
That is 3.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Barrow safe?
Police recorded 42 crimes inside Barrow’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 50% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
About Barrow
Village in Suffolk, England
Barrow is a built-up area of 1,961 people, in the West 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
- 1,961 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003329
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.