Woolpit Heath’s story
8 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Woolpit Heath’s built-up area.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Woolpit HeathSuffolk
A village of 252 in Suffolk, East of England.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Edwards · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
252
Census 2021 · Mid Suffolk council
Median age
58.8
40% are 65+ · Suffolk 23%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
3%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Woolpit Heath a good place to live?
Woolpit Heath has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Woolpit Heath stand out
The 3 things Woolpit Heath does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
3% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including The Lanes; 13 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
40% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Woolpit Heath.
Who lives here
Older residents shape Woolpit Heath: 40% are 65 or over, above Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
Half of Woolpit Heath is older than 58.8, half younger. 7% are under 15, lower than both Suffolk’s towns (16%) and England’s towns (18%). On top of that, the share aged 15 to 24 is 8.2%.
58.8median age
Woolpit HeathSuffolkEngland
Ages · share of residents
40%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
About 111 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Woolpit Heath | Suffolk | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 7% | 16% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 10% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 40% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Woolpit Heath walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 3%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 42% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Short trips to work, under 5 km: 6%, lower than both Suffolk’s towns (44%) and England’s towns (45%). 96% of commuters drove to work at the census. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters. Also worth knowing: the census counted 42% of workers working mainly from home.
3%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving96%
On foot1%
Train1%
6%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
2.6%
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
Private renting is less common in Woolpit Heath than in Suffolk’s towns or across England’s towns: 6%
94% of households own their home, higher than both Suffolk’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). Private rents average £1,005 a month across the Mid Suffolk council area. That is the middle of 7 standard sales inside Woolpit Heath’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Woolpit Heath£0K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £547,500 | 6 |
94%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,005
average private rent a month, Mid Suffolk council area
£2,283
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
Violent crime runs low in Woolpit Heath: 4 per 1,000 residents a year, under Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual0
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
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.
4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
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)
0
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 Woolpit Heath a healthy place? 87% of its people say their health is good, above Suffolk’s towns and England’s towns
Disability touches 16% of Woolpit Heath’s population. 2.8% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below both Suffolk’s towns (5%) and England’s towns (5.2%). The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.9 miles away.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Woolpit Heath | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.8% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
82.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More buildings in Woolpit Heath are listed than in Suffolk’s towns or England’s towns: 317 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Woolpit Heath has 8 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade II*. 14% of its homes were built before 1919, below Suffolk’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (16%) alike.
8listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II7
Among them · Grade II*
- The Lanes Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
317
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 Woolpit Heath
12pages on Woolpit Heath
The big questions
Woolpit Heath’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WoolpitElmswellHaughleyStowmarketStowuplandThurstonBacton and CottonWoolpit Heath
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woolpit Heath | 252 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Woolpit | 1,838 | 0.9 | — | B+ | C+ | B+ |
| Elmswell | 4,446 | 1.6 | A− | A− | B | A− |
| Haughley | 1,316 | 2.7 | — | A | C | B+ |
| Stowmarket | 21,537 | 4.2 | B | A | C+ | C+ |
| Stowupland | 2,019 | 4.8 | — | A | C+ | B+ |
| Thurston | 3,009 | 4.9 | B+ | B+ | C | A |
| Bacton and Cotton | 1,567 | 5.7 | — | A− | A | A− |
Woolpit, Haughley, Stowupland and Bacton and Cotton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Woolpit Heath
How many listed buildings are there in Woolpit Heath?
That is 13 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Woolpit Heath?
Band D council tax in Woolpit Heath is £2,283 for 2026–27, less than in 77% 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 Woolpit Heath
Village in Suffolk, England
Woolpit Heath is a built-up area of 252 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
- 252 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Mid Suffolk
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East of England
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63003370
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.