Beccles grades B overall against UK towns: better than 57% of UK towns, and #18 of 34 in Suffolk. Its strongest subject is cost of living (A): median sale £240,000, 4.6 years of area income; rent £842 a month. Its weakest is hazard risk (D): 3.8% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea.

StrongestACost of living AWalkabilityWeakestDHazard risk C⁻Jobs & income

What makes Beccles stand out

The 3 things Beccles does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Listed buildings per 10,000 residents

History

149 listed buildings

6 Grade I, including Church of St Michael; 6.2 times the typical UK town for its size

Historic England’s list, October 2026.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

28% are 65 or over

Against 18% across England’s towns

Own outright

Housing

40% own outright

of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)

61% own their home in all.

How Beccles grades

Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Beccles is from typical. American towns are graded separately.

How grading works

Cost of livingAOpen →Walkability24% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transportAOpen →Hazard riskDOpen →Jobs & incomeC⁻Open →SafetyCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 79.8 for men, 84 for womenCOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 68% of towns in England; secondary results beat 36% of towns in EnglandB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

History27% of homes built before 1919AOpen →Outdoors87% live within 400 m of a park; 20% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life3.4 local charities per 1,000 residents; 62% live within 1 km of a libraryAOpen →

How TownRatings grades towns →

North west view of the tower of Beccles church Suffolk by Henry Davy, 1827 · Photo: Henry Davy · Public domain

Beccles’s story

Beccles in pictures

Historic England lists 149 buildings inside Beccles’s built-up area, 6 of them Grade I.

27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.

The archive holds 3 old photos and postcards going back to 1827.

1827Ornaments east end of Beccles church Suffolk by Henry Davy 1827
1827South West View of Beccles Church Suffolk by Henry Davy

Explore the history →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Beccles.

Who lives here

Beccles skews older, with 28% of residents 65 or over, more than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns

Beccles sits above both Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. Children under 15 make up 15% of residents. Beccles has a median age of 48.6.

48.6median age

BecclesSuffolkEngland

SuffolkEngland

Ages · share of residents

28%

Qualifications · residents 16 and older

No qualifications22%

Apprenticeship7%

A levels or similar17%

Degree level24%

Women and men · all residents

52% women, 48% men

About 92 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.

Ages and qualifications in Beccles
	Beccles	Suffolk	England
Under 15	15%	16%	18%
15–24	9.3%	10%	12%
25–44	21%	24%	27%
45–64	26%	26%	25%
65+	28%	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%

Full pageBeccles’ Who lives here pageOpen the page

Ages48.6 median age · 28% are 65 or over Households4,601 households · 61% own their home Where people were born4.5% born outside the UK Questions“What is the population of Beccles?”

ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL

SchoolsB⁻

Results at Beccles’s schools beat 52% of towns in England

Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

B⁻School Grade

School	Level	Pupils	Letter
The Albert Pye Community Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary	Primary	350	A⁻
Sir John Leman High SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary	Secondary	1,404	B

Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 6 schools →

History

Beccles keeps more of its old housing than Suffolk or England’s towns: 27% built before 1919

The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.

That puts Beccles above both Suffolk’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (16%). Beccles has 152 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. Beccles’s listed buildings include Church of St Michael, Grade I.

149listed buildingsAHistory Grade

Listed buildings by grade · Historic England

Grade I6

Grade II*2

Grade II141

Among them · Grade I

Church of St Michael Grade I
Detached Tower of Church of St Michael Grade I
Leman House Grade I
Roos Hall Grade I

scheduled monuments

registered parks and gardens

27%

of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%

152

listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24

Full pageBeccles’ history pageOpen the page

Homes by age27% built before 1919 · Older homes Listed buildings149 listed buildings Vs. the neighboursAhead of 6 of its 7 graded neighbours Questions“How many listed buildings are there in Beccles?”

Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL

HousingCost of living grade A

Beccles gets an A for cost of living grade

Half the homes sold went for more than £240K, below both Suffolk’s towns (£310K) and England’s towns (£308K).

£240Kmedian sale

Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

Beccles£240K

Typical UK town£277K

By type	Median	Sales
Detached	£327,500	148
Semi-detached	£238,000	122
Terraced	£196,750	176
Flat or maisonette	£212,475	38

61%

of households own their home · England 61%

£842

average private rent a month, East Suffolk council area

£2,327

council tax, Band D, 2026–27

Full pageBeccles’ housing & cost pageOpen the page

House pricesMedian sale £240,000 Renting£842 a month · Average private rent Council tax£2,327 Band D · Council tax, 2026–27 Owners and renters61% own their home

HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C⁻

Benefit claims run higher in Beccles, 3.4% of 16 to 64s, than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns

The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 19% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.

On this, Beccles is above both Suffolk’s towns (2.2%) and England’s towns (2.3%). The average household earns £48K a year before tax.

24%walk, cycle or ride

How commuters got to work · March 2021

Driving73%

On foot16%

Bicycle6%

Bus2%

Train1%

42%

of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%

19%

worked mainly from home in March 2021

£48K

mean household income, before tax

3.4%

of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)

Walkability: more walkable than 89% of UK towns

Full pageBeccles’ work & commute pageOpen the page

Jobs based here4,250 jobs based here · Manufacturing is the biggest, 21%Commute map24% walk, cycle or ride Household income£48K a year · Mean household income Getting to work42% go under 5 km · Short trips to work

ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL

Safety

Beccles records more burglary and damage per resident than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 13.8 per 1,000 a year

In the comparison, Beccles comes above both Suffolk’s towns (6.7) and England’s towns (9.4). Violent crime runs at 29.1 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 567 crimes inside Beccles’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 54 reports of anti-social behaviour.

29.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade

Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 27% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.

More crimeLess crime

Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026

Violence & sexual280

Shoplifting91

Damage & arson50

Other theft50

Public order27

Burglary23

Other crime18

Drugs10

Anti-social54

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.

29.1

violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

13.8

burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026

anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)

567

crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026

Full pageBeccles’ safety reportOpen the page

Safety Grade29.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 · Beccles has more crime per resident than 70% of UK towns Crime by typeViolence & sexual leads Vs. the neighboursAhead of 2 of its 7 graded neighbours Questions“Is Beccles safe?”

data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL

Health

Disability is more common in Beccles than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 23% of residents

For Beccles, that is above both Suffolk’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). The nearest A&E to Beccles is James Paget Hospital, 9.9 miles away. 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.

77%good or very good healthCHealth Grade

General health, self-reported

Good or very good 77%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 6%

Census 2021	Beccles	Suffolk	England
Good or very good health	77%	81%	82%
Bad or very bad health	6.5%	5%	5.2%
Disabled (Equality Act)	23%	18%	17%

79.8

life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)

life expectancy at birth, women

Full pageBeccles’ health pageOpen the page

Health GradeLife expectancy: women 84, men 79.8 Getting care9.9 miles to A&E · James Paget Hospital GP practices1 GP practice · 73% rate their practice good Census health77% in good health

ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Beccles

15pages on Beccles

The big questions

SafetyC29.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 Cost of livingAMedian home £240K · rent £842 a month Housing152 sold in 12 months · busiest street Cricket Lane SchoolsB⁻6 state schools HealthCLife expectancy 79.8 (men), 84 (women)Work & commuteC⁻56% of working residents work in the town Flood & hazardsD3.8% of homes at high or medium flood risk

Out and about

OutdoorsA87% live within 400 m of a park AttractionsClimateJuly highs of 23°C (73°F), 628 mm of rain a year Weather

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 48.6 · 9,807 people HistoryA149 listed buildings, 6 Grade I Town Hall & politicsCouncil area: East Suffolk Famous people14 born here, among them Chris Martin

Landmarks

149 listed buildings in Beccles, 6 of them Grade I.

All landmarks →

Roos HallGrade I listed

Detached Tower of Church of St MichaelGrade I listed

Waveney HouseGrade I listed

King's Head HotelGrade II listed

Photo credits

Roos Hall: Photo: Rjm · Public domain · Detached Tower of Church of St Michael: Photo: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Waveney House: Photo: Adrian S Pye · CC BY-SA 2.0 · King's Head Hotel: Photo: Geographer · CC BY-SA 2.0

Famous people from Beccles

14 notable people were born in Beccles.

See all 14 →

Chris MartinAssociation football player (born 1988)

Tim BuckCanadian politician (1891-1973)

Lorina BulwerBritish artist (1838–1912)

Sir Robert Rich, 4th BaronetBritish cavalry officer · 1685–1768

William Aldis WrightEnglish Bible and literary scholar (1831–1914)

Grantly Dick-ReadBritish obstetrician (1890–1959)

Photo credits

Chris Martin: Charltonkyle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tim Buck: Dominion Communist-Labor Total War Committee, Public domain · Lorina Bulwer: Lorina Bulwel, Public domain · Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet: William Aikman, Public domain · William Aldis Wright: Walter William Ouless, Public domain

Beccles’s neighbours

The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →

All towns in Suffolk →

WorlinghamBungayThurltonDitchinghamLowestoftKessinglandLoddonBeccles

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	Miles	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Beccles	9,807	—	B	A	C	C
Worlingham	3,618	0.9	A	A⁻	A	B⁺
Bungay	5,012	5.3	C⁺	A	C⁺	B⁻
Thurlton	1,145	5.4	—	A⁻	A⁻	B
Ditchingham	1,997	5.4	—	A	A	B
Lowestoft	71,308	6.6	C⁺	A	D	C⁻
Kessingland	4,242	6.6	B	A	B	C⁺
Loddon	2,247	6.9	—	A⁻	C⁻	B

Thurlton, Ditchingham and Loddon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.

Questions about Beccles

How many listed buildings are there in Beccles?

That is 6.2 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I buildings include Church of St Michael.

Does Beccles flood?

Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.

Is Beccles safe?

It has more crime per resident than most places its size: 73% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less. Police recorded 567 crimes inside Beccles’ built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 49% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.

About Beccles

Town in Suffolk, England

Beccles is a built-up area of 9,807 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

Population: 9,807 (Census 2021)
Council: East Suffolk
County: Suffolk
Region: East of England
Area: 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km²)
ONS code: E63002864

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.