Hessett’s story
16 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Hessett’s built-up area.
21% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HessettSuffolk
A village of 513 in Suffolk, East of England. 3% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bob Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
513
Census 2021 · Mid Suffolk council
Median home
£520K
14 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.8
18% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
43%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
3%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hessett a good place to live?
Hessett has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Hessett stand out
The 3 things Hessett does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
3% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St Ethelbert; 12.8 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
1.9 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hessett.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Hessett work nearby than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 12% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 41% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Before tax, the average household brings in £59K a year. The car took 95% of commuters, above Suffolk’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Home was the main workplace for just over two in five workers at the census. 2% of commuters who live in Hessett also work there.
3%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving95%
Bicycle1%
On foot1%
Bus1%
12%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
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
A home in Hessett sells for £520K, more than in both Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
13% of households rent from a council or housing body. Private renters make up 8% of households, below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). Home ownership stands at 78% of households.
£520Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hessett£520K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £562,300 | 10 |
78%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,005
average private rent a month, Mid Suffolk council area
£2,300
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 Hessett than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.9 per 1,000 residents a year
Over the year to August 2026, 3 offences were reported in Hessett. Per 1,000 residents, 0.7 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded a year. Of all the crimes, 67% were violence and sexual offences.
3.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual2
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
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.
3.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
3
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
88% of people in Hessett say their health is good or very good, more than in both Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
Disability touches 13% of Hessett’s population. 2.1% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, lower than both Suffolk’s towns (5%) and England’s towns (5.2%). There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 2.6 miles off.
88%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 88%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Hessett | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 88% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.1% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
82.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
Hessett is rich in listed buildings: 312 per 10,000 residents, more than in both Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up just over a fifth of the total. Hessett’s listed buildings include the Church of St Ethelbert, Grade I. It has 16 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I.
16listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II15
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Ethelbert Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
21%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
312
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Degrees are more common in Hessett than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 43% of adults
People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.6% of the town, below both Suffolk’s towns (10%) and England’s towns (12%). The under-15s are 19% of the population here. Half of Hessett is older than 45.8, half younger. 18% of residents are 65 or over.
45.8median age
HessettSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
18%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level43%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hessett | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.6% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 18% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 43% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hessett
12pages on Hessett
The big questions
Safety3.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £520K · rent £1,005 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.4 (men), 86.9 (women)Work & commute55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Hessett’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ThurstonWoolpitElmswellGreat BartonBury St EdmundsIxworthHaughleyHessett
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hessett | 513 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thurston | 3,009 | 2.6 | B+ | B+ | C | A |
| Woolpit | 1,838 | 2.6 | — | B+ | C+ | B+ |
| Elmswell | 4,446 | 3.8 | A− | A− | B | A− |
| Great Barton | 1,848 | 4.4 | — | D | A+ | A |
| Bury St Edmunds | 41,279 | 5.5 | C+ | B− | C− | B− |
| Ixworth | 2,296 | 5.7 | — | C | B | A− |
| Haughley | 1,316 | 5.9 | — | A | C | B+ |
Woolpit, Great Barton, Ixworth and Haughley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hessett
How many listed buildings are there in Hessett?
That is 12.8 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Ethelbert.
Is Hessett expensive to live in?
Private rents in the Mid Suffolk council area averaged £1,005 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Hessett?
Band D council tax in Hessett is £2,300 for 2026–27, less than in 75% 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.
About Hessett
Village in Suffolk, England
Hessett is a built-up area of 513 people, in the Mid 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
- 513 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Mid Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003380
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.