#1Ivybridge
Devon · 12,485 peopleScore 61.5·#396 of 2,138 UK towns
Strongest: schools A, health B+·lowest: hazard risk C
Ivybridge, #1 on this list · Photo: Ruth Sharville · CC BY-SA 2.0Devon · 2026
Best places to live in Devon
Ivybridge ranks first of 47 Devon towns of 2,500+ residents, and #396 of 2,138 UK towns. 2 of the 47 grade A− or better; scores run from 61.5 down to 23.6.
The overall score, sorted within Devon; the letter compares each town with every UK town, and its rank among UK towns sits beside it. How grades work
#1A−
#2Ottery St Mary
Devon · 6,043 peopleScore 60.2·#471 of 2,138 UK towns
Strongest: health A+, schools B+·lowest: hazard risk D
#3Willand
Devon · 3,477 peopleScore 58.6·#529 of 2,138 UK towns
Strongest: hazard risk A, health A−·lowest: cost of living C+
All 47 towns, ranked
By overall score against UK towns; ranks are within Devon, and each UK rank links to the national list. The score (0–100) blends the seven livability grades and sets the order; the letter places that score among UK towns of 2,500+, and A+ is the top 5%, so neighbours on the list often share a letter.
47 towns.
#TownScoreGrade · UK rankWhat drives it
1Ivybridge12,485 people61.5top 18.9%A−#396 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools A, health B+·lowest: hazard risk C
2Ottery St Mary6,043 people60.2top 22.5%A−#471 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health A+, schools B+·lowest: hazard risk D
3Willand3,477 people58.6top 25.2%B+#529 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, health A−·lowest: cost of living C+
4Seaton7,429 people55.8top 31.2%B+#656 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools A, walkability A·lowest: hazard risk D
5Exminster4,388 people54.9top 33.3%B+#700 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A−, walkability B+·lowest: cost of living C−
6Sidmouth13,258 people54.0top 35.1%B#740 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health A·lowest: hazard risk D
7Chudleigh4,372 people52.3top 38.2%B#807 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools B+, health B·lowest: cost of living C+
8Topsham4,193 people51.6top 39.6%B#838 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A+, health A−·lowest: cost of living D−
9Braunton6,610 people50.2top 42.3%B#896 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety B+·lowest: hazard risk D
10Budleigh Salterton5,237 people49.4top 44.7%B#945 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A, health A−·lowest: schools D
11West Clyst2,683 people47.9top 47.9%B−#1,016 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, health A−·lowest: cost of living C−
12Kingskerswell3,761 people47.7top 48.2%B−#1,022 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools B+, health B·lowest: hazard risk D
13Kingsbridge5,682 people46.9bottom 49.7%B−#1,066 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A+, schools A−·lowest: hazard risk C−
14Bovey Tracey6,241 people46.0bottom 47.8%B−#1,109 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A−, health B+·lowest: hazard risk D
15Kingsteignton11,945 people45.9bottom 47.5%B−#1,114 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety B, jobs & income B·lowest: hazard risk D
16Fremington5,229 people45.2bottom 46.0%B−#1,146 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A−, walkability B·lowest: cost of living D
17South Brent2,643 people45.1bottom 45.7%B−#1,154 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: health B+, hazard risk B+·lowest: schools D−
18Crediton7,971 people43.9bottom 42.7%C+#1,219 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B·lowest: safety C−
19Honiton12,155 people43.5bottom 41.5%C+#1,243 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, health B−·lowest: jobs & income C−
20Ashburton3,368 people43.4bottom 41.2%C+#1,250 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, schools B·lowest: hazard risk D−
21Totnes9,217 people42.1bottom 38.4%C+#1,310 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A+, schools A−·lowest: hazard risk D
22Cranbrook4,936 people40.1bottom 33.8%C#1,409 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income B, walkability B−·lowest: safety C−
23Plymouth266,970 people39.9bottom 33.3%C#1,418 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, schools B+·lowest: safety D
24Exeter126,181 people39.0bottom 31.6%C#1,455 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A+, jobs & income B·lowest: safety D
25Tavistock12,676 people38.1bottom 29.3%C#1,505 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, health B·lowest: hazard risk D
26Combe Martin2,707 people38.1bottom 29.2%C#1,507 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B+, health B·lowest: jobs & income D
27Brixham17,839 people37.1bottom 26.8%C#1,560 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: schools A, walkability A−·lowest: cost of living D−
29Newton Abbot29,650 people37.0bottom 26.3%C#1,571 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, cost of living B−·lowest: hazard risk C−
28Exmouth35,502 people37.0bottom 26.3%C#1,570 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, health B−·lowest: hazard risk D−
30Northam5,191 people36.7bottom 25.3%C#1,591 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: safety A−, walkability B·lowest: cost of living D−
31Cullompton8,895 people35.7bottom 22.6%C−#1,650 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, cost of living B−·lowest: hazard risk D−
32Buckfastleigh2,720 people34.9bottom 20.7%C−#1,692 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, cost of living B·lowest: jobs & income D
33Teignmouth15,314 people34.7bottom 20.1%C−#1,705 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, health C+·lowest: hazard risk D
34Okehampton9,108 people33.9bottom 17.8%C−#1,753 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B−·lowest: jobs & income D
35South Molton6,226 people33.5bottom 17.2%C−#1,766 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety C+·lowest: jobs & income D
36Dartmouth5,260 people33.3bottom 16.6%C−#1,779 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A+, health B·lowest: hazard risk D−
37Dawlish11,800 people32.9bottom 16.0%C−#1,792 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B−·lowest: schools D
38Paignton67,509 people32.3bottom 14.6%D#1,822 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, schools B+·lowest: cost of living D−
39Great Torrington5,958 people31.7bottom 13.2%D#1,852 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, safety B−·lowest: jobs & income D
40Axminster6,094 people31.2bottom 12.7%D#1,863 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, cost of living B·lowest: schools D−
41Tiverton19,710 people30.7bottom 11.8%D#1,883 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, cost of living B·lowest: schools D−
42Barnstaple31,271 people30.7bottom 11.7%D#1,885 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A+, schools C+·lowest: hazard risk D
43Ilfracombe9,199 people27.5bottom 6.7%D#1,994 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A+, cost of living C+·lowest: jobs & income D−
44Holsworthy3,472 people26.7bottom 5.7%D#2,016 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, hazard risk B·lowest: schools D−
45Torquay52,034 people25.5bottom 4.4%D−#2,043 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A, schools B−·lowest: safety D−
46Westward Ho!3,468 people24.8bottom 3.8%D−#2,055 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability B, health B−·lowest: cost of living D
47Bideford19,493 people23.6bottom 3.1%D−#2,072 of 2,138 nationallyStrongest: walkability A−, health C·lowest: jobs & income D
Quick answers
Questions people ask
What is the best place to live in Devon?
Ivybridge ranks first of 47 graded towns of 2,500+: schools (A) and health (B+) are its strongest grades; hazard risk (C) is its lowest. Ottery St Mary and Willand follow.
How are these towns ranked?
By the overall grade, which blends seven livability grades (cost of living, safety, schools, health, jobs & income, walkability, hazard risk) from public data, each comparing a town with every UK town. The rank is within Devon. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers places of 2,500+ residents with an overall grade. Smaller places, and towns missing figures the overall grade needs, show their subject grades on their own pages; every town in Devon is listed on the county page.
County by county
Best places to live, county by county
BedfordshireBerkshireBuckinghamshireCambridgeshireCheshireClwydCornwallCounty DurhamCumbriaDerbyshireDevonDorsetDyfedEast Riding of YorkshireEast SussexEssexGloucestershireGwentHampshireHertfordshireKentLancashireLeicestershireLincolnshireLondonMerseysideMid GlamorganNorfolkNorth YorkshireNorthamptonshireNorthumberlandNottinghamshireOxfordshireShropshireSomersetSouth YorkshireStaffordshireSuffolkSurreyTyne and WearWarwickshireWest GlamorganWest MidlandsWest SussexWest YorkshireWiltshireWorcestershire
Sources: 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.