Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
In Suffolk, East of England, this village has 202 residents.
St James South Elmham is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. Pre-1919 homes make up 48% of the housing. 10% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Mortgage-free owners make up 54% of households.
The 3 things St James South Elmham does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside St James South Elmham’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
48% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in St James South Elmham.
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In 2026, 1.9% of 16 to 64s were claiming unemployment benefits. The car took 84% of commuters, above Suffolk’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Households take home £49K a year before tax, on average.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
One in ten households rent from a council or housing body. Private renters make up just over one in ten households, below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (21%). That is the middle of 2 standard sales inside St James South Elmham’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Violence and sexual offences were two fifths of the crimes. Over the year to August 2026, 5 offences were reported in St James South Elmham, along with 1 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Burglary and damage came to 9.9 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Suffolk’s towns (6.8) and England’s towns (9.4).
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.
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
At the census, 79% of people in St James South Elmham called their health good or very good, below both Suffolk’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 4.6 miles away. The nearest A&E to St James South Elmham is James Paget Hospital, 18.2 miles away.
| Census 2021 | St James South Elmham | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.5% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
St James South Elmham’s listed buildings include the Church of St James, Grade I. It counts 9 listed buildings on the national list (Historic England): 1 Grade I. The national list protects one ancient monument here.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Young adults of 15 to 24 are nearly a tenth of the population. 29% of residents are 65 or over, above Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Ages in St James South Elmham split evenly at 55: half are older, half younger. Degrees are held by 32% of adults.
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| St James South Elmham | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.5% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Village in Suffolk, England
St James South Elmham is a built-up area of 202 people, in the East 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
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St James South Elmham | 202 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harleston | 5,077 | 4.8 | B− | A− | B | B− |
| Halesworth | 4,924 | 4.8 | B− | A− | B− | B− |
| Bungay | 5,012 | 5.3 | C+ | A | C+ | B− |
| Laxfield | 1,004 | 5.7 | — | B | A+ | A− |
| Ditchingham | 1,997 | 6.5 | — | A | A | B |
| Stradbroke | 1,190 | 7 | — | A− | A+ | A− |
| Beccles | 9,807 | 8.5 | B | A | C | C |
Laxfield, Ditchingham and Stradbroke have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 18.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St James. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Band D council tax in St James South Elmham is £2,262 for 2026–27, less than in 79% 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.
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.