Risby’s story
21 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Risby’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
RisbySuffolk
A village of 887 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Hugh Venables · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
887
Census 2021 · West Suffolk council
Median home
£370K
29 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.1
32% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Risby a good place to live?
Risby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Risby stand out
The 3 things Risby does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% 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 Giles; 9.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
32% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Nearby attractions
All attractions →St Edmundsbury Cathedral and 13 more in and around Risby
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Risby. Best known first.
CathedralSt Edmundsbury Cathedral4.6 km outside town, to the southeast
Abbey or priory · English HeritageBury St Edmunds Abbey4.8 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic house · National TrustIckworth House4 km outside town, to the south
MuseumWest Stow Anglo Saxon Village4.5 km outside town, to the north
MuseumMoyse's Hall Museum4.3 km outside town, to the southeast
Abbey or prioryAbbey Ruins4.8 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- St Edmundsbury Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bury St Edmunds Abbey: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ickworth House: Squeezyboy, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- West Stow Anglo Saxon Village: https://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/6337 Keith Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, 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 Risby.
Who lives here
An older town: 32% of people in Risby are 65 or over, more than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
In the comparison, Risby comes above both Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%). 8.5% of residents are aged 15 to 24. The median resident of Risby is 50.1 years old.
50.1median age
RisbySuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar12%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 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.
| Risby | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 24% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 32% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Risby
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 203 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Only 9% of commuters in Risby go to work without a car, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Risby, that is below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (27%). For 24% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot6%
Bicycle2%
24%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
33%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£63K
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
Few households rent privately in Risby: 10%, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
Risby sits below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%) on this measure. 22% of households live in social housing.
£370Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Risby£370K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £660,000 | 7 |
| Semi-detached | £280,000 | 11 |
| Terraced | £413,500 | 11 |
66%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,183
average private rent a month, West Suffolk council area
£2,321
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 Risby than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 11.3 per 1,000 residents a year
That puts Risby below both Suffolk’s towns (19) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 21 crimes inside Risby’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 0 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 43% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
11.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Damage & arson4
Vehicle crime3
Drugs2
Other theft1
Burglary1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
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.
11.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.9
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
Health
Disability is more common in Risby than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 23% of residents
On this, Risby is above both Suffolk’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Risby has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.5 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.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Risby | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 18% | 17% |
81.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
More buildings in Risby are listed than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 237 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Risby’s listed buildings include Church of St Giles, Grade I. Risby has 21 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. Conservation areas cover 22% of Risby’s land, above both Suffolk’s towns (6%) and England’s towns (7%).
21listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II20
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Giles Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
237
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 Risby
13pages on Risby
The big questions
Safety11.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £370K · rent £1,183 a monthHousing10 sold in 12 months · busiest street Hall LaneSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 81.4 (men), 82.9 (women)Work & commute53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Risby’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BarrowBury St EdmundsKentfordGreat BartonRed LodgeMildenhallThurstonRisby
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risby | 887 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Barrow | 1,961 | 2.6 | — | C | A | B+ |
| Bury St Edmunds | 41,279 | 3.7 | C+ | B− | C− | B− |
| Kentford | 1,124 | 5.8 | — | C− | B | A− |
| Great Barton | 1,848 | 6 | — | D | A+ | A |
| Red Lodge | 5,771 | 6.2 | C+ | B− | C | A− |
| Mildenhall | 9,684 | 7.6 | C− | B | C− | C |
| Thurston | 3,009 | 7.6 | B+ | B+ | C | A |
Barrow, Kentford and Great Barton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Risby
How many listed buildings are there in Risby?
That is 9.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Giles. 20% of Risby’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Is Risby expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £370,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £413,500, semi-detached houses £280,000 and detached houses £660,000. Private rents in the West Suffolk council area averaged £1,183 a month in August 2026.
About Risby
Village in Suffolk, England
Risby is a built-up area of 887 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
- 887 (Census 2021)
- Council
- West Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003277
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.