Mendlesham’s story
25 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Mendlesham’s built-up area.
27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MendleshamSuffolk
A village of 1,018 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Geographer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,018
Census 2021 · Mid Suffolk council
Median home
£275K
47 sales in 3 years
Median age
47
29% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Mendlesham a good place to live?
Mendlesham has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is cost of living (A): median sale £275,000, 4.7 years of area income; rent £1,005 a month. Its weakest is schools (D): primary results beat 11% of towns in England.
What makes Mendlesham stand out
The 3 things Mendlesham 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 I, including Church of St Mary; 10.1 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
29% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Mendlesham grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Mendlesham is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 11% of towns in EnglandDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityDOpen →SafetyAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 81.3 for men, 86.4 for womenB+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £53,713; 2.3% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History27% of homes built before 1919AOpen →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 0.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsD−Open →Civic life6.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryA−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Mendlesham.
Who lives here
An older town: 29% of people in Mendlesham are 65 or over, more than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
In the comparison, Mendlesham comes above both Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%). Children under 15 make up 15% of residents. Half the people of Mendlesham are older than 47.
47median age
MendleshamSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Mendlesham | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 23% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.9% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsD
Results at Mendlesham’s schools trail 93% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
DSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendlesham Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 100 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade A
Private renting is less common in Mendlesham than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
For Mendlesham, that is below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). 70% of households own their home.
£275Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Mendlesham£275K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £320,000 | 22 |
| Semi-detached | £243,000 | 15 |
| Terraced | £197,475 | 10 |
70%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,005
average private rent a month, Mid Suffolk council area
£2,317
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Commuters in Mendlesham travel far: only 17% 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 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Mendlesham sits below both Suffolk’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (45%) on this measure. 8% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot4%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
29%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 11% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Mendlesham records less burglary and damage per resident than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 3 per 1,000 a year
That puts Mendlesham below both Suffolk’s towns (6.8) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 21 crimes inside Mendlesham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime runs at 15.7 per 1,000 residents a year.
15.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 73% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual12
Public order3
Damage & arson2
Other theft2
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
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.
15.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3
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)
21
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
History
More buildings in Mendlesham are listed than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 246 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
On this, Mendlesham is above both Suffolk’s towns (88) and England’s towns (39). Mendlesham’s listed buildings include Church of St Mary, Grade I. Mendlesham has 25 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*.
25listed buildingsAHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II23
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
27%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
246
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Life expectancy in Mendlesham is longer than in 77% of UK towns
Women here live to 86.4 on average and men to 81.3 (2019–23). The nearest A&E to Mendlesham is Ipswich Hospital, 14.1 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.
82%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Mendlesham | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.5% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
81.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mendlesham
15pages on Mendlesham
The big questions
SafetyA15.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingAMedian home £275K · rent £1,005 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street Glebe WaySchoolsD1 state schoolHealthB+Life expectancy 81.3 (men), 86.4 (women)Work & commuteC50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Mendlesham
3 notable people were born in Mendlesham.
G
George Edward ReadNew Zealand politician and mariner (1814/1815-1878)S
Samuel DunconPolitical writer · ?–1679Photo credits
Robert Brooke-Popham: Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain
Mendlesham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Bacton and CottonGislinghamStowuplandDebenhamHaughleyStowmarketEyeMendlesham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mendlesham | 1,018 | — | — | A | A | B+ |
| Bacton and Cotton | 1,567 | 3 | — | A− | A | A− |
| Gislingham | 1,172 | 4.2 | — | A | A | A |
| Stowupland | 2,019 | 4.3 | — | A | C+ | B+ |
| Debenham | 2,294 | 4.4 | — | A− | A | A |
| Haughley | 1,316 | 5.1 | — | A | C | B+ |
| Stowmarket | 21,537 | 5.5 | B | A | C+ | C+ |
| Eye | 2,211 | 5.9 | — | A− | B | B |
Bacton and Cotton, Gislingham, Stowupland, Debenham, Haughley and Eye have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Mendlesham
How many listed buildings are there in Mendlesham?
That is 10.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
Are schools in Mendlesham good?
Primary results trail 89% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Suffolk council.
About Mendlesham
Village in Suffolk, England
Mendlesham is a built-up area of 1,018 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
- 1,018 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Mid Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003293
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.