Holywell Row’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Holywell Row’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Holywell RowSuffolk
A village of 517 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bob Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
517
Census 2021 · West Suffolk council
Median home
£364K
12 sales in 3 years
Median age
27.2
13% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
29%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
4%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Holywell Row a good place to live?
Holywell Row has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Holywell Row stand out
The 3 things Holywell Row does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
4% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
48% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Households renting privately
Housing
of households, against 21% across England’s towns
48% own their home.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 13% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Holywell Row.
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Holywell Row than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 4%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 23% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Holywell Row sits below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (27%) on this measure. 95% of commuters drove to work at the census.
4%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving95%
On foot3%
Bicycle1%
48%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
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
Holywell Row is a renters’ town: 52% of households rent privately, more than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns
That puts Holywell Row above both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). 0% of households live in social housing.
£364Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Holywell Row£364K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £420,000 | 9 |
48%
of households own their home · England 61%
52%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,183
average private rent a month, West Suffolk council area
£2,292
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
Holywell Row records 25.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year, against 19 in Suffolk’s towns and 22 in England’s towns
Police recorded 14 crimes inside Holywell Row’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour. Burglary and damage came to 9.7 per 1,000 residents a year, above Suffolk’s towns (6.8) and close to England’s towns (9.4). Violence and sexual offences were 43% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
25.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual6
Damage & arson3
Other theft3
Burglary2
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social2
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.
25.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
14
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
Is Holywell Row a healthy place? 91% of its people say their health is good, above Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Holywell Row is above both Suffolk’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). Holywell Row has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.5 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.
91%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 7%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Holywell Row | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 91% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.1% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
80.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
2 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.
Holywell Row has 2 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 20% of its homes were built before 1919.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
39
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
A town of families: 40% of people in Holywell Row are under 15, more than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
In the comparison, Holywell Row comes above both Suffolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Over-65s are 13% of the population. Holywell Row has a median age of 27.2.
27.2median age
Holywell RowSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
13%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications25%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level29%
Women and men · all residents
36% women, 64% men
About 56 women for every 100 men. Across England, 51% of residents are women. A large institution, such as a prison, barracks, boarding school, university or care home, can tilt a town’s split: the census counts the people living there as residents.
| Holywell Row | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 40% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.5% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 19% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 13% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 25% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 29% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Holywell Row
12pages on Holywell Row
The big questions
Safety25.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £364K · rent £1,183 a monthHousing1 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 80.4 (men), 84.8 (women)Work & commute42% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Holywell Row’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Beck RowMildenhallLittle EriswellLakenheathRed LodgeIslehamFordhamHolywell Row
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holywell Row | 517 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Beck Row | 4,129 | 1.1 | C | B− | B− | B |
| Mildenhall | 9,684 | 1.2 | C− | B | C− | C |
| Little Eriswell | 4,120 | 2 | A− | B | A+ | B+ |
| Lakenheath | 4,567 | 3.4 | C+ | B | B | B− |
| Red Lodge | 5,771 | 4.3 | C+ | B− | C | A− |
| Isleham | 2,287 | 4.3 | — | B+ | B+ | B+ |
| Fordham | 2,566 | 6.3 | B+ | B+ | B− | B |
Isleham has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Holywell Row
Who lives in Holywell Row?
A young village. At the 2021 Census, 40% of residents were under 15 and 20% were 25 to 44, against 18% and 27% across England’s towns; only 13% were 65 or over.
Is Holywell Row expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £364,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the West Suffolk council area averaged £1,183 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Holywell Row?
Band D council tax in Holywell Row is £2,292 for 2026–27, less than in 76% 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 Holywell Row
Village in Suffolk, England
Holywell Row is a built-up area of 517 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
- 517 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003038
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.