Bittaford’s story
No listed buildings inside Bittaford’s built-up area
26% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BittafordDevon
A village of 482 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Kevin Hale · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
482
Census 2021 · South Hams council
Median home
£285K
16 sales in 3 years
Median age
52.8
28% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
38%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bittaford a good place to live?
Bittaford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Bittaford stand out
The 3 things Bittaford does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
26% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
28% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bittaford.
Who lives here
Children make up only 13% of Bittaford, fewer than in both Devon’s towns and England’s towns
People 65 and over make up 28% of the town, above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Nearly one in ten residents are aged 15 to 24. The middle age in Bittaford is 52.8. Among adults, 38% have a degree.
52.8median age
BittafordDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
28%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 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.
| Bittaford | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 28% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.5% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Bittaford than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 9%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
28% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. The car took 90% of commuters, above Devon’s towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. There are 0.3 jobs in Bittaford for each resident in work.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving90%
On foot6%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
28%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£54K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Private renting is less common in Bittaford than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 7%
78% of households are owner-occupiers. Private rents average £1,012 a month across the South Hams council area. The median sale, £285,000, comes from 16 standard sales inside Bittaford’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£285Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bittaford£285K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £467,500 | 6 |
| Terraced | £244,000 | 8 |
78%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,012
average private rent a month, South Hams council area
£2,546
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Violence is recorded less often in Bittaford than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 15.1 per 1,000 residents a year
Burglary and damage came to 6 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Devon’s towns (7.5) and England’s towns (9.4). The 12 months to August 2026 brought 8 recorded crimes inside Bittaford’s built-up area, and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Of all the crimes, 25% were violence and sexual offences.
15.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual2
Damage & arson2
Public order2
Other theft1
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social1
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.
15.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
8
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Disability is more common in Bittaford than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 25% of residents
7.5% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, above both Devon’s towns (5.9%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Asked at the census, nearly four in five residents of Bittaford said they were in good or very good health. There is no GP practice locally: the nearest is 2.7 miles off.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Bittaford | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.5% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 25% | 21% | 17% |
81.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Bittaford keeps more of its old housing than Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 26% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 3% of Bittaford’s land, lower than both Devon’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (7%). Historic England’s list has no building inside the town’s built-up area.
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
26%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bittaford
12pages on Bittaford
The big questions
Safety15.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £285K · rent £1,012 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 81.4 (men), 85.5 (women)Work & commute48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Bittaford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
IvybridgeSouth BrentModburyLoddiswellYealmptonBuckfastleighSherfordBittaford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bittaford | 482 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ivybridge | 12,485 | 2 | A− | C+ | B− | B+ |
| South Brent | 2,643 | 2.9 | B− | B− | B− | B+ |
| Modbury | 1,687 | 3.3 | — | C− | A | A |
| Loddiswell | 1,032 | 6.1 | — | B− | B | A |
| Yealmpton | 2,007 | 6.5 | — | C | A+ | A |
| Buckfastleigh | 2,720 | 7.1 | C− | B | C− | C+ |
| Sherford | 1,311 | 8 | — | C+ | D− | A− |
Modbury, Loddiswell, Yealmpton and Sherford have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bittaford
How much is council tax in Bittaford?
Band D council tax in Bittaford is £2,546 for 2026–27, more than in 75% 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 Bittaford expensive to live in?
Close to the typical UK town: the median sale over three years was £285,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £244,000 and detached houses £467,500.
About Bittaford
Village in Devon, England
Bittaford is a built-up area of 482 people, in the South Hams 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
- 482 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Hams
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006929
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.