Walsham le Willows’s story
44 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Walsham le Willows’ built-up area.
27% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Walsham le WillowsSuffolk
A village of 1,258 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Edwards · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,258
Census 2021 · Mid Suffolk council
Median home
£328K
40 sales in 3 years
Median age
49
25% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
33%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Walsham le Willows a good place to live?
Walsham le Willows has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 10.9 violent and sexual offences and 6.1 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is walkability (C−): 10% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £327,500 in the last three years, 5.6 times what households in the Mid Suffolk council area earn in a year.
What makes Walsham le Willows stand out
The 3 things Walsham le Willows does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% 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 Mary; 14.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
80%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 80%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How Walsham le Willows grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Walsham le Willows is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 84 for men, 85.9 for womenAOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 28% of towns in EnglandC−Open →Hazard risk1.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £58,367; 2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryAOpen →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 0.4 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsD−Open →Civic life7.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryA−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Walsham le Willows.
History
Walsham le Willows is rich in listed buildings: 350 per 10,000 residents, more than 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.
Walsham le Willows’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary, Grade I. It counts 44 listed buildings on the national list (Historic England): 1 Grade I. Of Walsham le Willows’ land, 39% lies in conservation areas, higher than both Suffolk’s towns (6%) and England’s towns (7%). Also worth knowing: the pre-1919 share of homes is 27%.
44listed buildingsAHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II43
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
27%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
350
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsC−
School results in Walsham le Willows are weaker than in 77% of towns in England
The one school in town appears below. Key Stage 2 results at the one primary school within 3 km: 57% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town’s primary school has 117 pupils.
C−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walsham-le-Willows Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 117 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Per resident, Walsham le Willows sees less crime than 90% of UK towns
Police recorded 22 crimes inside Walsham le Willows’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour. Of all the crimes, 41% were violence and sexual offences. There were 2.9 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Suffolk’s towns (4) and England’s towns (7.8).
10.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 80% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Vehicle crime5
Shoplifting2
Other theft2
Burglary2
Public order1
Other crime1
Damage & arson0
Anti-social5
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.
10.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
22
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
People in Walsham le Willows live longer lives than in 90% of UK towns
The nearest A&E to Walsham le Willows is West Suffolk Hospital, 11 miles away. At the census, 4.2% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below Suffolk’s towns (5%) and England’s towns (5.2%) alike. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 3 miles off.
83%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Walsham le Willows | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.2% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
84
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
HousingCost of living grade A−
Few households rent privately in Walsham le Willows: 12%, fewer than in Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
Owners make up just over two thirds of households, above both Suffolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). From September 2023 to August 2026, 40 homes sold inside Walsham le Willows’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £327,500. Private rents average £1,005 a month across the Mid Suffolk council area.
£328Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Walsham le Willows£328K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £450,000 | 20 |
| Semi-detached | £245,000 | 12 |
| Terraced | £236,000 | 8 |
68%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,005
average private rent a month, Mid Suffolk council area
£2,266
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Fewer commuters in Walsham le Willows 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 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 88% of commuters, higher than both Suffolk’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (70%). Jobs per working resident: 0.6.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot6%
Bicycle3%
Bus1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
31%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 22% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Walsham le Willows skews older, with 25% of residents 65 or over, more than Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns
Degrees are held by 33% of adults, higher than Suffolk’s towns (27%) and near England’s towns (34%). People aged 15 to 24 are 9.3% of the population. The middle age in Walsham le Willows is 49.
49median age
Walsham le WillowsSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level33%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Walsham le Willows | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.3% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Walsham le Willows
14pages on Walsham le Willows
The big questions
SafetyA10.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £328K · rent £1,005 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Wattisfield RoadSchoolsC−1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 84 (men), 85.9 (women)Work & commuteB−56% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC1.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Walsham le Willows’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
StantonRickinghall and BotesdaleBacton and CottonGislinghamElmswellIxworthWoolpitWalsham le Willows
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walsham le Willows | 1,258 | — | — | A− | A | A |
| Stanton | 2,316 | 3 | — | B− | A | B |
| Rickinghall and Botesdale | 1,842 | 3.7 | — | A− | A | A |
| Bacton and Cotton | 1,567 | 4 | — | A− | A | A− |
| Gislingham | 1,172 | 4.2 | — | A | A | A |
| Elmswell | 4,446 | 4.5 | A− | A− | B | A− |
| Ixworth | 2,296 | 4.6 | — | C | B | A− |
| Woolpit | 1,838 | 5.8 | — | B+ | C+ | B+ |
Stanton, Rickinghall and Botesdale, Bacton and Cotton, Gislingham, Ixworth and Woolpit have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Walsham le Willows
How many listed buildings are there in Walsham le Willows?
That is 14.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary.
Are schools in Walsham le Willows good?
Primary results trail 73% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Suffolk council.
Does Walsham le Willows flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Walsham le Willows
Village in Suffolk, England
Walsham le Willows is a built-up area of 1,258 people, in the Mid 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
- 1,258 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Mid Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003174
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.