Fornham St Martin’s story
10 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Fornham St Martin’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Fornham St MartinSuffolk
952 residents make their home in this village in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Edwards · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
952
Census 2021 · West Suffolk council
Median home
£405K
34 sales in 3 years
Median age
60
44% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Fornham St Martin a good place to live?
Fornham St Martin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real. On the way to work, 8% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 10 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. Over-65s are 44% of the population.
What makes Fornham St Martin stand out
The 3 things Fornham St Martin 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
1 Grade II*, including Church of St Martin; 4.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
44% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St Edmundsbury Cathedral and 9 more in and around Fornham St Martin
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Fornham St Martin. Best known first.
CathedralSt Edmundsbury Cathedral2.7 km outside town, to the south
Abbey or priory · English HeritageBury St Edmunds Abbey2.7 km outside town, to the south
MuseumMoyse's Hall Museum2.4 km outside town, to the south
Abbey or prioryAbbey Ruins2.6 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumSuffolk Regiment Museum2.4 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumGreene King Brewery Visitor Centre3 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 (4)
- St Edmundsbury Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bury St Edmunds Abbey: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Moyse's Hall Museum: Keith Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Abbey Ruins: Bob Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fornham St Martin.
Who lives here
An older town: 44% of people in Fornham St Martin are 65 or over, more than in Suffolk’s towns and across England’s towns
31% of adults hold a degree, between Suffolk’s towns (27%) and England’s towns (34%). One measure of family life: 10% of residents are under 15. Half the people of Fornham St Martin are older than 60. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 7.3% of the town.
60median age
Fornham St MartinSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
44%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications23%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 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.
| Fornham St Martin | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.3% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 44% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
More commuters in Fornham St Martin drive than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 88%
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.
Households had £59K a year before tax, close to Suffolk’s towns (£57K) and above England’s towns (£55K). For 51% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters. 1.1% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot4%
Bicycle2%
Bus2%
Train1%
51%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
1.1%
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
Private renting is less common in Fornham St Martin than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 5%
At the median, a home went for £405K, higher than both Suffolk’s towns (£309K) and England’s towns (£308K). Owners make up 77% of households. Social housing holds just over one in ten households.
£405Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Fornham St Martin£405K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £414,500 | 25 |
| Semi-detached | £176,000 | 5 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,183
average private rent a month, West Suffolk council area
£2,323
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
Crime recorded by police in Fornham St Martin
A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 36 offences in Fornham St Martin and 1 cases of nuisance behaviour. Homes saw 9.8 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, above Suffolk’s towns (6.8) and close to England’s towns (9.4). Just over three fifths of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
19.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual22
Damage & arson6
Burglary3
Drugs2
Vehicle crime1
Bicycle theft1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
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.
19.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
36
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
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.
Health
Disability is more common in Fornham St Martin than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 26% of residents
Nearly four fifths of Fornham St Martin’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, lower than both Suffolk’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). This Suffolk town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.8 miles away. The nearest A&E to Fornham St Martin is West Suffolk Hospital, 2.9 miles away.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Fornham St Martin | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 26% | 18% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Fornham St Martin are listed than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 105 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II* covers 1 of them.
10listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II9
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St Martin Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
105
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 Fornham St Martin
13pages on Fornham St Martin
The big questions
Safety19.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £405K · rent £1,183 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street Birkdale CourtSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82 (men), 84.7 (women)Work & commute44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Fornham St Martin’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Bury St EdmundsGreat BartonThurstonIxworthBarrowStantonWoolpitFornham St Martin
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fornham St Martin | 952 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bury St Edmunds | 41,279 | 1.8 | C+ | B− | C− | B− |
| Great Barton | 1,848 | 2.8 | — | D | A+ | A |
| Thurston | 3,009 | 4.6 | B+ | B+ | C | A |
| Ixworth | 2,296 | 5.6 | — | C | B | A− |
| Barrow | 1,961 | 5.7 | — | C | A | B+ |
| Stanton | 2,316 | 8.2 | — | B− | A | B |
| Woolpit | 1,838 | 8.6 | — | B+ | C+ | B+ |
Great Barton, Ixworth, Barrow, Stanton and Woolpit have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Fornham St Martin
How many listed buildings are there in Fornham St Martin?
That is 4.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Fornham St Martin expensive to live in?
By type: semi-detached houses £176,000 and detached houses £414,500. Private rents in the West Suffolk council area averaged £1,183 a month in August 2026.
About Fornham St Martin
Village in Suffolk, England
Fornham St Martin is a built-up area of 952 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
- 952 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003241
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.