Half of North Norfolk homes are owned outright

North Norfolk includes seaside towns such as Cromer

Almost half of homes in North Norfolk are owned outright by their occupants, a higher proportion than any other council area in England.

Census data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed 49.8% of properties there were fully paid for, with no money owed to lenders.

The area, which includes the seaside towns of Cromer and Sheringham, also had the largest percentage of population aged 65 and over in England.

The ONS said areas with the greatest proportion of homes owned outright tended to be in coastal regions or away from cities.

Cromer Pier in North Norfolk

Other hotspots for homes owned outright included Rother in East Sussex (48.7%), Staffordshire Moorlands (48.3%), the Derbyshire Dales (48.2%) and East Lindsey in Lincolnshire (47.3%).

The data was published as part of the latest estimate of household tenure, including accommodation that is rented or owned with a mortgage or loan.

It also showed 21.2% of properties in North Norfolk were owner-occupied with an outstanding mortgage or loan, 18.1% were privately rented and 10.9% were social rented.

In 2023, North Norfolk was said to have the highest level of homes either lying empty or infrequently used in England, outside the City of London.

At the time, nearly 6,000 of its 55,000 homes were either second homes or long-term empty homes.