Bentley’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Bentley’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BentleySuffolk
A village of 547 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Keith Evans · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
547
Census 2021 · Babergh council
Median home
£340K
17 sales in 3 years
Median age
56.4
38% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bentley a good place to live?
Bentley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Bentley stand out
The 3 things Bentley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
38% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
55% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bentley.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Bentley: 38% are 65 or over, above Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
Bentley sits above both Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. Children are 11% of the town. Bentley has a median age of 56.4.
56.4median age
BentleySuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
38%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Bentley | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.6% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 38% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Commuters in Bentley travel far: only 15% go under 5 km, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Bentley below both Suffolk’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 7% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot4%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
15%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£64K
mean household income, before tax
2.8%
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
Bentley is a town of owners: 85% of households own their home, above Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Bentley is above both Suffolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). 7% of households rent privately.
£340Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bentley£340K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £385,000 | 7 |
| Semi-detached | £320,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £340,000 | 5 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£965
average private rent a month, Babergh council area
£2,282
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
Violence is recorded less often in Bentley than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 5.5 per 1,000 residents a year
In the comparison, Bentley comes below both Suffolk’s towns (19) and England’s towns (22). Homes see 3.1 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 10 crimes inside Bentley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour.
5.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Burglary2
Damage & arson1
Other theft1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Drugs0
Anti-social1
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.
5.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.1
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)
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
Health
Just 3.5% of people in Bentley say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
For Bentley, that is below both Suffolk’s towns (5%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Bentley has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.1 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.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Bentley | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.5% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
84.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Bentley: 23% were built before 1919, more than in 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.
Bentley has 2 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
37
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 →Dodnash Priory and 6 more in and around Bentley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bentley. Best known first.
Abbey or prioryAbbey or prioryDodnash Priory1000 m outside town, to the southwest
CastleLittle Wenham Castle2.8 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttraction · National TrustFlatford Mill4.5 km outside town, to the southwestRuinsRuins · English HeritageMistley Towers4.6 km outside town, to the southZooZooJimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park4.5 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumManningtree Museum4.8 km outside town, to the south
CastleLittle Wenham Castle2.8 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttraction · National TrustFlatford Mill4.5 km outside town, to the southwestRuinsRuins · English HeritageMistley Towers4.6 km outside town, to the southZooZooJimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park4.5 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumManningtree Museum4.8 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Little Wenham Castle: Zorba the Geek, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bentley
13pages on Bentley
The big questions
Safety5.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £340K · rent £965 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 84.3 (men), 85.5 (women)Work & commute57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Bentley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Capel St MaryBranthamEast BergholtManningtreeMistleyLawfordHolbrookBentley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley | 547 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Capel St Mary | 2,992 | 1.3 | A | B+ | A | A+ |
| Brantham | 2,081 | 1.9 | — | B+ | A− | A |
| East Bergholt | 2,211 | 2.4 | — | B− | B+ | A |
| Manningtree | 1,676 | 3.2 | — | D− | C | B− |
| Mistley | 1,827 | 3.5 | — | D− | C | B |
| Lawford | 4,488 | 3.6 | B+ | D− | B | B |
| Holbrook | 2,146 | 3.7 | — | B+ | A | A |
Brantham, East Bergholt, Manningtree, Mistley and Holbrook have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bentley
How much is council tax in Bentley?
Band D council tax in Bentley 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.
Is Bentley expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £340,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £340,000, semi-detached houses £320,000 and detached houses £385,000. Private rents in the Babergh council area averaged £965 a month in August 2026.
About Bentley
Village in Suffolk, England
Bentley is a built-up area of 547 people, in the Babergh 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
- 547 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Babergh
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003894
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.