Metfield’s story
15 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Metfield’s built-up area.
39% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MetfieldSuffolk
A village of 381 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Adrian Cable · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
381
Census 2021 · Mid Suffolk council
Median home
£350K
13 sales in 3 years
Median age
57.5
37% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Metfield a good place to live?
Metfield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Metfield stand out
The 3 things Metfield 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 John the Baptist; 16.2 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
37% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Metfield.
Who lives here
An older town: 37% of people in Metfield are 65 or over, more than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
Metfield sits above both Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. Under-15s account for 11% of the population. Metfield has a median age of 57.5.
57.5median age
MetfieldSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
37%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Metfield | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.5% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.4% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Metfield work nearby than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 11% 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.
That puts Metfield below both Suffolk’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (45%). 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
Driving90%
On foot8%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
mean household income, before tax
2.6%
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
Most households in Metfield own their home: 75%, more than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns
On this, Metfield is above both Suffolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 14% of households.
£350Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Metfield£350K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £447,500 | 6 |
| Semi-detached | £290,000 | 5 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,005
average private rent a month, Mid Suffolk council area
£2,263
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
Metfield records less violent crime per resident than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns, at 3.5 per 1,000 a year
In the comparison, Metfield comes below both Suffolk’s towns (19) and England’s towns (22). Homes see 4.4 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 2 crimes inside Metfield’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 0 reports of anti-social behaviour.
3.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual1
Vehicle 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.
3.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
2
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
More people in Metfield live with a disability than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 23%
For Metfield, that is above both Suffolk’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Metfield has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3 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.
77%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 77%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Metfield | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 77% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.6% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 18% | 17% |
81.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Metfield is rich in listed buildings: 394 per 10,000 residents, more than 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.
Metfield’s listed buildings include Church of St John the Baptist, Grade I. Metfield has 15 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 39% of its homes were built before 1919, above both Suffolk’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (16%).
15listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II14
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St John the Baptist Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
39%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
394
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 Metfield
12pages on Metfield
The big questions
Safety3.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £350K · rent £1,005 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.5 (men), 85.4 (women)Work & commute64% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.6% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Metfield’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HarlestonLaxfieldStradbrokeHalesworthBungayDitchinghamDickleburghMetfield
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metfield | 381 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harleston | 5,077 | 3.5 | B− | A− | B | B− |
| Laxfield | 1,004 | 5 | — | B | A+ | A− |
| Stradbroke | 1,190 | 5.5 | — | A− | A+ | A− |
| Halesworth | 4,924 | 6.1 | B− | A− | B− | B− |
| Bungay | 5,012 | 6.3 | C+ | A | C+ | B− |
| Ditchingham | 1,997 | 7.5 | — | A | A | B |
| Dickleburgh | 1,166 | 7.8 | — | A | A | B |
Laxfield, Stradbroke, Ditchingham and Dickleburgh have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Metfield
How many listed buildings are there in Metfield?
That is 16.2 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St John the Baptist.
Is Metfield expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £350,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £290,000 and detached houses £447,500. Private rents in the Mid Suffolk council area averaged £1,005 a month in August 2026.
About Metfield
Village in Suffolk, England
Metfield is a built-up area of 381 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
- 381 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Mid Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63002992
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.