Shotley’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Shotley’s built-up area.
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ShotleySuffolk
A village of 550 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Andrew Hill · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
550
Census 2021 · Babergh council
Median home
£280K
25 sales in 3 years
Median age
54.8
32% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Shotley a good place to live?
Shotley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Shotley stand out
The 3 things Shotley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
32% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Lightvessel 18 and 10 more in and around Shotley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Shotley. Best known first.
MuseumLightvessel 182.9 km outside town, to the southeast
FortHarwich Redoubt3.6 km outside town, to the southeast
FortBeacon Hill Fort4 km outside town, to the southeast
MuseumLifeboat Museum3.2 km outside town, to the southeastPierPierShotley Pier1.7 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumHMS Ganges Museum1.7 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 (4)
- Lightvessel 18: Matt Harrop, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Harwich Redoubt: John Fielding from Norwich, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Beacon Hill Fort: Oxyman, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lifeboat Museum: Geof Sheppard, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shotley.
Who lives here
An older town: 32% of people in Shotley are 65 or over, more than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
On this, Shotley is above both Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%). Children are 12% of the town. The median resident of Shotley is 54.8 years old.
54.8median age
ShotleySuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
32%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications27%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level22%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Shotley | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.4% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 32% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 27% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Shotley
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shotley Community Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 81 | D− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Shotley work nearby than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 17% travel under 5 km
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.
In the comparison, Shotley comes below both Suffolk’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 14% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot10%
Bicycle2%
Bus2%
Train1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
2.3%
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 Shotley: 9%, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
For Shotley, that is below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). 23% of households live in social housing.
£280Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Shotley£280K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £240,000 | 9 |
| Flat or maisonette | £395,000 | 9 |
66%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£965
average private rent a month, Babergh council area
£2,327
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 more often in Shotley than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 26.7 per 1,000 residents a year
Shotley sits above both Suffolk’s towns (19) and England’s towns (22) on this measure. Police recorded 29 crimes inside Shotley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 59% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
26.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual17
Public order3
Damage & arson2
Other theft2
Burglary2
Shoplifting1
Theft from person1
Other crime1
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.
26.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
29
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
Fewer people in Shotley say their health is good than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 73%
That puts Shotley below both Suffolk’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). Shotley 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.
73%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 73%Fair 20%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Shotley | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 73% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.7% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 26% | 18% | 17% |
83
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Shotley: 25% were built before 1919, more than in 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.
For its size, Shotley has 18 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, below Suffolk’s towns (89) and close to England’s towns (39). Shotley has 1 listed building on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
25%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
18
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 Shotley
13pages on Shotley
The big questions
Safety26.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £280K · rent £965 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 months · busiest street King Edward Vii DriveSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 83 (men), 86.2 (women)Work & commute52% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards2.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Shotley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Shotley GateHarwichTrimley St MartinTrimley St MaryHolbrookKirtonFelixstoweShotley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shotley | 550 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shotley Gate | 1,418 | 0.9 | — | A− | A | A− |
| Harwich | 20,219 | 2.5 | D− | D | D | C− |
| Trimley St Martin | 1,725 | 3.1 | — | B+ | C+ | B |
| Trimley St Mary | 3,736 | 3.3 | A− | A | A | B |
| Holbrook | 2,146 | 4 | — | B+ | A | A |
| Kirton | 1,245 | 4 | — | B | A+ | B |
| Felixstowe | 24,218 | 4.2 | B− | A− | C+ | C+ |
Shotley Gate, Trimley St Martin, Holbrook and Kirton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Shotley
How many listed buildings are there in Shotley?
1 on Historic England’s list.
How much is council tax in Shotley?
Band D council tax in Shotley is £2,327 for 2026–27, less than in 70% 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 Shotley
Village in Suffolk, England
Shotley is a built-up area of 550 people, in the Babergh 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
- 550 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Babergh
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003929
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.