Chambercombe’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Chambercombe’s built-up area.
51% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ChambercombeDevon
A village of 1,502 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,502
Census 2021 · North Devon council
Median home
£290K
91 sales in 3 years
Median age
51.5
27% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
17%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Chambercombe a good place to live?
Chambercombe has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (B+): 15 violent and sexual offences and 9.7 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is jobs & income (D): mean household income £38,829; 2.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. The median home sold for £290,000 in the last three years, 6.1 times what households in the North 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 Chambercombe stand out
The 3 things Chambercombe does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 99%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 77%. Department for Education.
Life expectancy, against UK towns
Health
79.6 and 75.2 years
OHID Fingertips, 2019–23.
How Chambercombe grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Chambercombe is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →HealthLife expectancy 75.2 for men, 79.6 for womenC−Open →Hazard risk2.9% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC−Open →Cost of livingrent £846 a monthC−Open →SafetyB+Open →WalkabilityB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 1% of towns in England; secondary results beat 77% of towns in EnglandC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 29% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA+Open →Civic life2.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 21% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Chambercombe.
Health
Life expectancy in Chambercombe is shorter than in 96% of UK towns
Women here live to 79.6 on average and men to 75.2 (2019–23). Chambercombe has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
81%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Chambercombe | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.7% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 21% | 17% |
75.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
79.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C−
Chambercombe is a town of owners: 73% of households own their home, above Devon’s towns and England’s towns
That puts Chambercombe above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). 1% of households live in social housing.
£290Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Chambercombe£290K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £375,000 | 34 |
| Semi-detached | £257,500 | 14 |
| Terraced | £240,000 | 37 |
| Flat or maisonette | £159,000 | 6 |
73%
of households own their home · England 61%
24%
rent privately · England 21%
£846
average private rent a month, North Devon council area
£2,678
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
Chambercombe has less crime per resident than 71% of UK towns
Police recorded 71 crimes inside Chambercombe’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 35% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking, so it runs higher than U.S. “violent crime”.
15violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 51% 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 & sexual25
Burglary13
Shoplifting8
Public order8
Other theft7
Damage & arson4
Vehicle crime4
Weapons1
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
9.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.1
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
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Chambercombe than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 17%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 27% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
On this, Chambercombe is below both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (27%). The car carried 79% of commuters at the census.
17%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving79%
On foot14%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
49%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
27%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£39K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B+
Walkability: more walkable than 67% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Old homes shape Chambercombe: 51% 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.
In the comparison, Chambercombe comes above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (16%). For its size, Chambercombe has 7 listed buildings per 10,000 residents. Chambercombe has 1 listed building on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
1listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
51%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
7
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
An older town: 27% of people in Chambercombe are 65 or over, more than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns
For Chambercombe, that is above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 8.2% of the town. The median resident of Chambercombe is 51.5 years old.
51.5median age
ChambercombeDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Chambercombe | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.8% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Hele Cornmill and 7 more in and around Chambercombe
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Chambercombe. Best known first.
MuseumMuseumHele Cornmillin town
Theme parkWatermouth Castle1.7 km outside town, to the east
Historic houseChambercombe Manor100 m outside town, to the southeast
MuseumIlfracombe Museum1.1 km outside town, to the westAquariumAquariumIlfracombe Aquarium600 m outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumCombe Martin Museum4.1 km outside town, to the east
Theme parkWatermouth Castle1.7 km outside town, to the eastHistoric houseChambercombe Manor100 m outside town, to the southeastMuseumIlfracombe Museum1.1 km outside town, to the westAquariumAquariumIlfracombe Aquarium600 m outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumCombe Martin Museum4.1 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Watermouth Castle: own photo, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Chambercombe Manor: David Seale, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ilfracombe Museum: Betty Longbottom, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chambercombe
14pages on Chambercombe
The big questions
SafetyB+15 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £290K · rent £846 a monthHousing26 sold in 12 months · busiest street Chambercombe RoadSchoolsC+HealthC−Life expectancy 75.2 (men), 79.6 (women)Work & commuteD48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC−2.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Chambercombe’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
IlfracombeCombe MartinBrauntonChivenor and WraftonBarnstapleBickingtonFremingtonChambercombe
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chambercombe | 1,502 | — | — | C− | B+ | C− |
| Ilfracombe | 9,199 | 0.8 | D | C+ | D | D |
| Combe Martin | 2,707 | 3.2 | C | D | B− | B |
| Braunton | 6,610 | 7.3 | B | D | B+ | B |
| Chivenor and Wrafton | 1,953 | 7.9 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Barnstaple | 31,271 | 9.2 | D | C | D | C |
| Bickington | 2,105 | 9.2 | — | D | B+ | B |
| Fremington | 5,229 | 9.5 | B− | D | A− | B− |
Chivenor and Wrafton and Bickington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Chambercombe
How many listed buildings are there in Chambercombe?
1 on Historic England’s list.
How much is council tax in Chambercombe?
Band D council tax in Chambercombe is £2,678 for 2026–27, more than in 94% 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.
Does Chambercombe flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Chambercombe
Village in Devon, England
Chambercombe is a built-up area of 1,502 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
- 1,502 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005657
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.