Working in Suffolk
Why choose Suffolk?
Suffolk is a county full of history with a diverse culture, and is home to 50 miles of beautiful coastline. In fact, the Suffolk Coast has been voted as one of the ‘Best Places to Live’ with both the Suffolk Coast and Heaths and Dedham Vale being designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Beyond the beaches, there's a wide variety of things to see and do, with attractions including magnificent castles such as Framlingham Castle, medieval towns, stately homes and lush gardens. Suffolk's county town, Ipswich, is one of the oldest English towns and is home to over 1,500 years of heritage, a host of waterfront bars and pubs, a number of theatres and galleries and plenty of shopping opportunities.
Plus, Suffolk has (on average!) two hours more sunshine than other parts of the country.
What more could you need?
Whether you're after a busy town centre flat, a quiet coastal cottage or a rural retreat, there's a home for everyone in Suffolk.
Average rent (as of 11/2023):
- £832 for a one bed property
- £1,107 for a two bed property
- £1,411 for a three bed property
- £1,855 for a four bed property
- £2,361 for a five bed property
If you're looking to purchase a home in Suffolk, you can expect to spend around £163k on a flat, £243k on a terraced property and £483k on a detached property, depending on location and size.
The price of living in Suffolk can vary from town to town with some areas more competitive than others.
You can enjoy a meal out for between £10 and £30, or enjoy a three course meal in a mid-range restaurant for around the £50 mark. Add a pint, and you're looking at around another £4.
There are a variety of gyms around the county to suit every budget, from 24/7 gyms offering memberships at around £20p/m up to more high end gyms with saunas and pools looking at a price of around £35 to £50, depending on facilities.
To find out more about council tax and other bills, visit Suffolk County Council.
In the beautiful countryside of Suffolk, it's easy to feel a million miles from the excitement of a city centre, but you're never too far away from the rest of the country or even other countries.
To London
Trains from Ipswich to London take one hour 17 minutes on average and run about 102 times a day, making it an ideal spot for commuting or just for exciting big city day trips. Train journeys from other main train hubs within the county such as Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft also allow you to get to London with one change in 2-3 hours.
You can get to all London airports in a little over two hours or less, with Stansted being only an hour and 20 minutes away.
To the rest of the UK
Ipswich train station also runs direct services to other popular areas such as Peterborough and Cambridge, where you can easily change for services to across the country.
Kids love Suffolk. Not only is the county full of scenes that look like they've been taken straight from fairy tales, but there are towns like Lavenham that acted as the town of Godric's Hollow in Harry Potter and Thorpeness with lakes inspired by Peter Pan.
You'll have no problem finding family friendly days out in Suffolk. Some top recommendations include:
For older kids, Suffolk has a number of excellent nurseries, primary and secondary schools, as well as a variety of colleges and the University of Suffolk.
To find out more about family services in Suffolk, visit Suffolk County Council.