Upper Layham’s story
6 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Upper Layham’s built-up area.
38% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Upper LayhamSuffolk
A village of 266 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Andrew Hill · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
266
Census 2021 · Babergh council
Median home
£246K
11 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.7
30% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Upper Layham a good place to live?
Upper Layham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Upper Layham stand out
The 3 things Upper Layham does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
35% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 9.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
30% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Upper Layham.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Upper Layham: 30% are 65 or over, above Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Upper Layham is above both Suffolk’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 6.8% of residents. Upper Layham has a median age of 52.7.
52.7median age
Upper LayhamSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 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.
| Upper Layham | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.8% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Upper Layham than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 7%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Upper Layham comes below both Suffolk’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (27%). 90% of commuters drove to work at the census.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
Bicycle4%
On foot2%
Train1%
35%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£65K
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
More households own their home in Upper Layham than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 83%
For Upper Layham, that is above both Suffolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 10% of households.
£246Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Upper Layham£246K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | £245,250 | 6 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£965
average private rent a month, Babergh council area
£2,298
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
Upper Layham records 25.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year, against 19 in Suffolk’s towns and 22 in England’s towns
Police recorded 18 crimes inside Upper Layham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 1.3 reports per 1,000, below both Suffolk’s towns (3.9) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences were 56% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
25.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual10
Other theft3
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Burglary1
Bicycle theft1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
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.
25.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
18
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
Is Upper Layham a healthy place? 86% of its people say their health is good, above Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
Upper Layham sits above both Suffolk’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%) on this measure. Upper Layham has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.2 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.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Upper Layham | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.1% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
82.2
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 Upper Layham: 38% 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.
That puts Upper Layham above both Suffolk’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (16%). For its size, Upper Layham has 226 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Upper Layham has 6 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
6listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II6
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
38%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
226
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 Upper Layham
13pages on Upper Layham
The big questions
Safety25.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £246K · rent £965 a monthHousing3 sold in 12 months · busiest street Brett GreenSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.2 (men), 86.2 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Upper Layham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HadleighElmsettCapel St MaryEast BergholtBildestonBranthamGreat BricettUpper Layham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Layham | 266 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hadleigh | 8,638 | 1.4 | A− | B+ | B− | B+ |
| Elmsett | 1,001 | 3.9 | — | B− | A+ | A− |
| Capel St Mary | 2,992 | 4 | A | B+ | A | A+ |
| East Bergholt | 2,211 | 4.2 | — | B− | B+ | A |
| Bildeston | 1,096 | 6.1 | — | A− | A− | A− |
| Brantham | 2,081 | 6.2 | — | B+ | A− | A |
| Great Bricett | 1,518 | 6.6 | — | A | A+ | B |
Elmsett, East Bergholt, Bildeston, Brantham and Great Bricett have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Upper Layham
How many listed buildings are there in Upper Layham?
That is 9.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Upper Layham?
Band D council tax in Upper Layham is £2,298 for 2026–27, less than in 75% 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 Upper Layham
Village in Suffolk, England
Upper Layham is a built-up area of 266 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
- 266 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Babergh
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003821
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.