Bickington’s story
6 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Bickington’s built-up area.
6% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BickingtonDevon
A village of 2,105 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,105
Census 2021 · North Devon council
Median home
£330K
129 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.3
30% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
14%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bickington a good place to live?
Bickington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (B+): 17.8 violent and sexual offences and 5.7 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is cost of living (D): median sale £330,000, 7 years of area income; rent £846 a month.
Devon And Cornwall Police published 33 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
WeakestDCost of living
What makes Bickington stand out
The 3 things Bickington does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
14% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
60% of commuters travel under 5 km.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
30% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
51% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
How Bickington grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Bickington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingDOpen →SafetyB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 25% of towns in England; secondary results beat 51% of towns in EnglandC+Open →Hazard risk0.7% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 81.4 for men, 87 for womenBOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £53,992; 2.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC+Open →WalkabilityB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryC−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 1.4 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life1.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bickington.
Who lives here
An older town: 30% of people in Bickington are 65 or over, more than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns
In the comparison, Bickington comes above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Young adults of 15 to 24 are 8.5% of the population. The median resident of Bickington is 52.3 years old.
52.3median age
BickingtonDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Bickington | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
HousingCost of living grade D
Bickington is a town of owners: 79% of households own their home, above Devon’s towns and England’s towns
For Bickington, that is above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 12% of households.
£330Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bickington£330K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £385,000 | 77 |
| Semi-detached | £270,000 | 19 |
| Terraced | £220,000 | 32 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£846
average private rent a month, North Devon council area
£2,597
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
6 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Bickington has 6 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 6% of its homes were built before 1919.
6listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II6
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
6%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
29
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Bickington has less crime per resident than 74% of UK towns
Homes saw 5.7 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, below both Devon’s towns (7.6) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 71 crimes inside Bickington’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 7 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 55% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
17.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 56% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual39
Public order10
Damage & arson8
Drugs5
Other theft3
Burglary3
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Anti-social7
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.
17.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
71
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Life expectancy in Bickington is longer than in 81% of UK towns
Women here live to 87 on average and men to 81.4 (2019–23). Bickington has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.1 miles away. 79% of Bickington’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, close to Devon’s towns (80%) and below England’s towns (82%).
79%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Bickington | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 21% | 17% |
81.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Fewer commuters in Bickington walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 14%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 22% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Bickington sits below both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (27%) on this measure. The car carried 84% of commuters at the census.
14%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving84%
On foot6%
Bus4%
Bicycle3%
60%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
2.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 49% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Barnstaple Castle and 3 more in and around Bickington
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bickington. Best known first.
CastleBarnstaple Castle1.9 km outside town, to the east
MuseumMuseum of Barnstaple & North Devon2.1 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumSt Anne's Chapel2.1 km outside town, to the eastHistoric houseHistoric houseTawstock Castle2.2 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Barnstaple Castle: Jack1956, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon: Jack1956, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bickington
14pages on Bickington
The big questions
SafetyB+17.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £330K · rent £846 a monthHousing35 sold in 12 months · busiest street Woolmers LaneSchoolsC+HealthBLife expectancy 81.4 (men), 87 (women)Work & commuteC+39% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+0.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bickington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
FremingtonBarnstapleChivenor and WraftonBrauntonLandkeyAppledoreNorthamBickington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bickington | 2,105 | — | — | D | B+ | B |
| Fremington | 5,229 | 1.7 | B− | D | A− | B− |
| Barnstaple | 31,271 | 1.8 | D | C | D | C |
| Chivenor and Wrafton | 1,953 | 2.4 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Braunton | 6,610 | 3.8 | B | D | B+ | B |
| Landkey | 2,001 | 4.1 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Appledore | 1,711 | 4.6 | — | D− | B | C+ |
| Northam | 5,191 | 5.6 | C | D− | A− | C+ |
Chivenor and Wrafton, Landkey and Appledore have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bickington
How much is council tax in Bickington?
Band D council tax in Bickington is £2,597 for 2026–27, more than in 85% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Is Bickington safe?
Against all UK towns, it grades B+.
About Bickington
Village in Devon, England
Bickington is a built-up area of 2,105 people, in the North 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
- 2,105 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005996
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.