Thorpeness’s story
12 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Thorpeness’ built-up area.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ThorpenessSuffolk
A village of 215 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Richard Law · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
215
Census 2021 · East Suffolk council
Median home
£545K
17 sales in 3 years
Median age
62.3
47% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
44%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
21%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Thorpeness a good place to live?
Thorpeness has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Thorpeness stand out
The 3 things Thorpeness does most differently from other towns.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
47% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 22.9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thorpeness.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Thorpeness: 47% are 65 or over, above Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
44% of adults hold a degree. Children under 15 make up 5.1%, below Suffolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for 3.3% of the town. Thorpeness has a median age of 62.3 years.
62.3median age
ThorpenessSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
47%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications14%
Apprenticeship2%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level44%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 84 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.
| Thorpeness | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 5.1% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 3.3% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 13% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 47% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 2.5% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 44% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Households in Thorpeness earn less than in Suffolk’s towns and across England’s towns: £46K a year
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 39% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
77% of commuters drove, about level with Suffolk’s towns (79%) and above England’s towns (70%). The census counted 39% of workers working mainly from home. Work in town: 7% of resident commuters. Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.3% of 16 to 64s in 2026.
21%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving77%
On foot12%
Underground, tram5%
Train2%
Bicycle2%
47%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
39%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£46K
mean household income, before tax
1.3%
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
Homes in Thorpeness cost more than in Suffolk’s towns and across England’s towns, with a median sale of £545K
Social housing holds 14% of households, below both Suffolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £842 a month across the East Suffolk council area. Renting privately is how just over a fifth of households live.
£545Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Thorpeness£545K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £760,000 | 7 |
| Terraced | £495,000 | 5 |
65%
of households own their home · England 61%
21%
rent privately · England 21%
£842
average private rent a month, East Suffolk council area
£2,248
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
Homes in Thorpeness see more burglary and damage than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 12.4 per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences made up 57% of the total. Over the year to August 2026, 7 offences were reported in Thorpeness. Each year, 20.2 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents.
20.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual4
Other theft1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
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.
20.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
7
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
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.
Health
Disability is more common in Thorpeness than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 26% of residents
78% of people in Thorpeness rate their own health good or very good. At the census, 6.5% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, above Suffolk’s towns (5%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike. Seeing a GP means leaving Thorpeness: the nearest practice is 2.4 miles away.
78%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Thorpeness | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.5% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 26% | 18% | 17% |
78.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Thorpeness are listed than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 558 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
None of the 12 listed buildings reaches Grade II* or Grade I; all are Grade II. The register of parks and gardens lists one in Thorpeness.
12listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II12
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
22%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
558
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Museum of Beyond and 4 more in and around Thorpeness
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Thorpeness. Best known first.
Art galleryArt galleryMuseum of Beyondin town
Abbey or priory · English HeritageLeiston Abbey4.8 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumThorpeness & Aldringham Heritage Centrein townAttractionAttractionThorpeness Windmillin townWater parkWater parkChapel Barn Lodges2.1 km outside town, to the west
Abbey or priory · English HeritageLeiston Abbey4.8 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumThorpeness & Aldringham Heritage Centrein townAttractionAttractionThorpeness Windmillin townWater parkWater parkChapel Barn Lodges2.1 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Leiston Abbey: Dave Briggs, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thorpeness
13pages on Thorpeness
The big questions
Safety20.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £545K · rent £842 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 78.4 (men), 84.2 (women)Work & commute55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards1.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Thorpeness’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
AldeburghLeistonSaxmundhamRendleshamWickham MarketReydonFramlinghamThorpeness
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorpeness | 215 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aldeburgh | 2,423 | 1.9 | — | C+ | A− | C+ |
| Leiston | 5,919 | 2.3 | C+ | A | C | C+ |
| Saxmundham | 4,778 | 6 | C+ | B+ | C | C+ |
| Rendlesham | 3,185 | 9.2 | B+ | B+ | A− | B+ |
| Wickham Market | 2,231 | 11 | — | A− | B+ | A |
| Reydon | 2,369 | 11 | — | B | A | B+ |
| Framlingham | 3,831 | 12 | A | B | A− | A |
Aldeburgh, Wickham Market and Reydon have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Thorpeness
How many listed buildings are there in Thorpeness?
That is 22.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is Thorpeness expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £495,000 and detached houses £760,000.
About Thorpeness
Village in Suffolk, England
Thorpeness is a built-up area of 215 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
- Population
- 215 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003407
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.