About the area
The statistics on this page provide key information relating to West Suffolk. Detailed statistical reports about each of the 43 wards in West Suffolk can be found on our Ward reports page.
For more specific information about an area, use our Find my nearest mapping tool which provides a wealth of information such as local councillors, nearest schools and NHS services as well as bin collection days.
The area of West Suffolk is a predominantly rural district in the heart of East Anglia. Well-connected with London, the rest of East Anglia and the Midlands, West Suffolk is a safe and comparatively prosperous place in which to live. It also has some beautiful and accessible countryside areas, including grassland, heath and forest.
West Suffolk has six market towns, Brandon, Bury St Edmunds, Clare, Haverhill, Mildenhall and Newmarket.
Bury St Edmunds, the largest settlement in West Suffolk, has been a prosperous town for centuries. People are drawn to its market and Georgian architecture, shops, leisure and cultural facilities.
Newmarket is known as the 'home of horseracing'. It has more racehorses, trainers, stable staff, stud farms and racing organisations in and around the town than anywhere else in the world. Racing accounts for a significant number of local jobs.
Haverhill, Mildenhall and Brandon expanded significantly in the 1970s due to the construction of new housing to accommodate families moving as part of the Greater London Council's expansion programme.
Today, West Suffolk has a thriving, diverse economy, embracing a number of business sectors. These include tourism, food and drink, life sciences and advanced manufacturing, including a number of businesses trading with the two major US Air Force bases in West Suffolk. In all of West Suffolk's towns and rural areas, many of our residents benefit from a good quality of life. However, some areas have suffered more than others from the impact of the economic downturn. Others are facing issues such as: rural isolation, a lack of skills or qualifications amongst young people, an ageing population with some in need of more specialist housing or care, poverty, or health deprivation.
Where data are not yet available for West Suffolk then figures for Forest Heath District Council (FHDC) and St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) are shown:
Population
Latest population data for West Suffolk from Census 2021 are available on: Office of National Statistics (ONS) - West Suffolk population change, Census 2021
| West Suffolk | England | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 179,946 | 56,490,048 | Census 2021 | |
| Between 2011 and 2021 the population grew by | 5.30% | 6.60% | Census 2011 and 2021 | |
| West Suffolk has an ageing population: % of the population aged over 65 | 20.80% | 18.41% | Census 2021 | |
| Ethnic diversity. Percentage of White (English/Welsh/Scottish/NI/British) people | 82.20% | 73.50% | Census 2021 | |
| Percentage of people who considered themselves to be in very good health | 47.70% | 48.50% | Census 2021 | |
| West Suffolk's population is spread across a large rural area, plus five main settlements. The distribution of the population is: villages and outlying areas 42.5%, Bury St Edmunds 23.2%, Haverhill 14.7%, Newmarket 9.3%, Brandon 5.4%, and Mildenhall 4.9% | Census 2021 | |||
Economy and skills
| West Suffolk | England | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of 16-64 year olds who were economically active | 77.30% | 78.60% | Annual Population Survey (APS) April 2022 to March 2023 |
| Sectors of employment. Percentage of employees working in: | Business Register and Employment Survey 2021 (BRES) : open access | ||
|
Business administration and support services |
22.00% | 9.00% | |
| Health | 12.00% | 13.30% | |
| Manufacturing | 9.00% | 7.50% | |
| Retail | 8.00% | 9.00% | |
| Accommodation and food services | 7.00% | 7.50% | |
| Percentage of residents aged over 16 with at least NVQ Level 1 or equivalent qualifications | 83.10% | 87.70% | Annual Population Survey (APS) January to December 2021 |
| Between 2021-22, the proportion of young people achieving a 9-4 pass in both English and Maths GCSE | 67.40% | 69.10% | Department for Education data published October 2022 for academic year 2021-22, sourced from LG Inform |
Housing
| West Suffolk | England | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size | 2.28 people | 2.41 people | Census 2021 |
| Between 2011 and 2021, the number of households increased by | increased by 10.60% | increased by 6.20% | Census 2011 and 2021 |
| Ratio of lower quartile earnings to lower quartile house prices. Ratios are calculated by dividing house price by annual earnings. The higher the ratio the more expensive it is to buy a house | 9.46 times | 7.36 times | Office of National Statistics (ONS) - Ratio of house price to resident based earnings. Year ending September 2022 |
| Average (mean) cost of renting a home (3 bedroomed) | £1,171 | £1,039 per month | ONS - Private rental market summary statistics April 2022 to March 2023 |
| Rate of homelessness: Households assessed as homeless | 7.49 households per 1,000 | 6.06 households per 1,000 | Statutory homelessness: Households initially assessed as homeless (owed relief duty) April 2021 to March 2022 |
More information about the districts and the rest of Suffolk can be found at: Suffolk Observatory