Beer’s story
21 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Beer’s built-up area.
36% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BeerDevon
A village of 1,280 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Michael Garlick · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,280
Census 2021 · East Devon council
Median home
£328K
56 sales in 3 years
Median age
54.9
34% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
34%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
21%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Beer a good place to live?
Beer has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is health (A): life expectancy 83.8 for men, 85.9 for women. Its weakest is hazard risk (D): 5.9% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The median home sold for £328,000 in the last three years, 6.1 times what households in the East Devon council area earn in a year.
Devon And Cornwall Police published 33 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Beer stand out
The 3 things Beer does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 6.7 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Secondary results, towns in England
Schools
Secondary results beat 100%
of towns in England, on GCSE results (Attainment 8, English and maths)
Primary results beat 75%. Department for Education.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
34% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Beer grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Beer is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthAOpen →Hazard riskDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 75% of towns in England; secondary results beat 100% of towns in EnglandAOpen →SafetyA−Open →WalkabilityA−Open →Cost of livingrent £968 a monthC+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £55,491; 2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryA−Open →Outdoors50% live within 400 m of a park; 43% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeBOpen →Civic life4.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Pecorama and 9 more in and around Beer
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Beer. Best known first.
AttractionPecoramain town
Historic siteBeer Quarry Caves700 m outside town, to the west
Fort · English HeritageBlackbury Camp4.4 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumAxe Valley Heritage Museum1.3 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionSeaton Tramway1.4 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionJurassic Discovery1.5 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Pecorama: John M, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Beer Quarry Caves: Sarah Charlesworth, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blackbury Camp: Blokenearexeter, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Axe Valley Heritage Museum: Betty Longbottom, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Beer.
Who lives here
Beer skews older, with 34% of residents 65 or over, more than Devon’s towns or England’s towns
For Beer, that is above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 5.8% of residents. The median resident of Beer is 54.9 years old.
54.9median age
BeerDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
34%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level34%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Beer | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.8% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 34% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.2% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 34% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsA
Results at Beer’s schools beat 91% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
ASchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beer Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 94 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
Life expectancy in Beer is longer than in 90% of UK towns
Women here live to 85.9 on average and men to 83.8 (2019–23). Beer has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.3 miles away. At the census, 79% of people in Beer called their health good or very good, below both Devon’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%).
79%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Beer | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.4% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 21% | 17% |
83.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.9
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Old homes shape Beer: 36% were built before 1919, more than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Beer sits above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (16%) on this measure. For its size, Beer has 164 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Beer has 21 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
21listed buildingsA−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II21
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
36%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
164
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Burglary and damage are rarer in Beer than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.3 per 1,000 residents a year
That puts Beer below both Devon’s towns (7.6) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 34 crimes inside Beer’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 59% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
15violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 71% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual20
Damage & arson6
Other theft3
Public order2
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social5
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.
15
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
34
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Fewer commuters in Beer work nearby than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 35% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 30% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
On this, Beer is below both Devon’s towns (51%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 21% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
21%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving76%
On foot19%
Bicycle2%
35%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
30%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£55K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A−
Walkability: more walkable than 80% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
More households own their home in Beer than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 68%
In the comparison, Beer comes above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). 11% of households live in social housing.
£328Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Beer£328K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £660,000 | 15 |
| Semi-detached | £330,000 | 11 |
| Terraced | £320,000 | 21 |
| Flat or maisonette | £180,000 | 9 |
68%
of households own their home · England 61%
£968
average private rent a month, East Devon council area
£2,535
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Beer
15pages on Beer
The big questions
SafetyA−15 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £328K · rent £968 a monthHousing18 sold in 12 months · busiest street Clapps LaneSchoolsA1 state schoolHealthALife expectancy 83.8 (men), 85.9 (women)Work & commuteB−59% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsD5.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Beer’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SeatonColytonSidmouthUplymeLyme RegisAxminsterHonitonBeer
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beer | 1,280 | — | — | C+ | A− | A |
| Seaton | 7,429 | 1.4 | B+ | C+ | B | B− |
| Colyton | 1,938 | 3.1 | — | C | A− | A |
| Sidmouth | 13,258 | 6.3 | B | C− | B | A |
| Uplyme | 1,053 | 6.7 | — | C− | A | A |
| Lyme Regis | 3,741 | 7.3 | C | D− | B− | B+ |
| Axminster | 6,094 | 7.6 | D | B | D | C+ |
| Honiton | 12,155 | 8 | C+ | B− | C+ | B− |
Colyton and Uplyme have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Beer
How many listed buildings are there in Beer?
That is 6.7 times the typical UK town for its size.
Does Beer flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Are schools in Beer good?
Secondary schools stand out: GCSE results beat almost all towns in England. Primary results beat 75%. One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Devon council.
About Beer
Village in Devon, England
Beer is a built-up area of 1,280 people, in the East Devon 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
- 1,280 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006745
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.