A Guide to Living in Suffolk

Where is Suffolk?

Suffolk is a county in England, in the East of the country. The county borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west, Essex to the south-east and covers an area of 2,072 square kilometres.

Suffolk has several towns including Ipswich which is its capital city and largest town. There are also three smaller cities in Suffolk; namely Lowestoft (which is on the North Sea coast), Newmarket (famous for horse racing) and Bury St Edmunds (known for its abbey).

Areas in Suffolk

Some of the most popular areas for prospective homebuyers in Suffolk include:

Ipswich – which is the county’s capital and largest town. Ipswich has a very strong economy, with many office jobs available in the service sector. It also performs well on house price growth over time.

Lowestoft – which is located along Suffolk’s north coast and offers great sea views as well as links to Norfolk via ferry. The town is famous for its fish and chips and its airshow.

Newmarket – located in the northwest of Suffolk, Newmarket is a picturesque town that’s home to the world-famous horse racing track.

Bury St Edmunds – nestled in the west of Suffolk, Bury St Edmunds is a charming market town with plenty of history and culture to offer visitors. Bury St Edmunds is also home to a number of major employers and also offers good access to London (just over an hour away by train) as well as Ipswich and Colchester.

Thetford Forest – a vast expanse of forested land, Thetford Forest is located to the northwest of Suffolk’s West Midlands region. It offers great opportunities for walks, cycling and other outdoor activities such as fishing or horse riding. There are also plenty of campsites dotted around the area, for those who want to make the most of their trip.

Universities in Suffolk

Suffolk plays host to the University of Suffolk, which has a reputation for excellence and is also a great option for international students. The University of Suffolk offers courses in all manner of subjects, including business studies and tourism-related courses such as hospitality management which can be applied to any number of careers after you graduate.

Top Schools in Suffolk

Suffolk has some excellent schools that are well worth considering when looking at buying property or local accommodation; these include:

Copleston High School – A co-ed comprehensive school with a strong focus on the arts located in Ipswich, Copleston High School is a school with excellent facilities and strong exam results.

Bury St Edmunds High School – The closest of Suffolk’s top schools to the county town, Bury St Edmunds is another co-ed comprehensive school that offers an all-around education for its students that prepares them well for further study or employment after they leave. Another example of how Suffolk has something special to offer even within state schooling.

The King Edward VI Foundation – A highly academic selective boys’ grammar school in Bury St Edmunds, known as KES it is one of only two single-sex secondary schools left in England whose focus on excellence extends beyond their own borders by taking part in exchanges with foreign countries around East Anglia so that students can experience other cultures first had.

Ipswich High School – A mixed comprehensive school which is the largest in Suffolk, Ipswich High School has a current enrollment of over 1600 pupils and achieved an excellent set of GCSE results in summer 2016 with 73% of grades at A*-C including English and maths

Population of Suffolk

The population of the county grew by almost nine per cent between 2001 and 2011 according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This made it one of only four counties with an increasing population over this period. There were approximately 800,00 residents living in the area during 2019.