Chawleigh’s story
16 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Chawleigh’s built-up area.
31% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ChawleighDevon
A village of 640 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Martin Bodman · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
640
Census 2021 · Mid Devon council
Median home
£385K
16 sales in 3 years
Median age
54.2
30% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Chawleigh a good place to live?
Chawleigh has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Chawleigh stand out
The 3 things Chawleigh does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
16 listed buildings
1 Grade I, including Church of St. James; 10.3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Own outright
Housing
56% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Chawleigh.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Chawleigh walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 5%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 38% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 3.6% of 16 to 64s in 2026, above Devon’s towns (2.3%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. 94% of commuters took the car to work at the census. For 11% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving94%
On foot3%
Bus1%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
38%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
mean household income, before tax
3.6%
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
Most households in Chawleigh own their home: 78%, more than in both Devon’s towns and England’s towns
Private renters make up 13% of households, lower than both Devon’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). The social rented sector houses 8% of households. 16 standard sales inside Chawleigh’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £385,000.
£385Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Chawleigh£385K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £438,000 | 9 |
78%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£878
average private rent a month, Mid Devon council area
£2,615
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
Burglary and damage are rarer in Chawleigh than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 4 per 1,000 residents a year
In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 11 crimes inside Chawleigh’s built-up area. 45% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.3 reports per 1,000, below Devon’s towns (5.7) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
18.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual5
Other crime2
Other theft1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Bicycle theft1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Anti-social0
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.
18.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
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)
11
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
More people in Chawleigh live with a disability than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 23%
There is no GP practice in Chawleigh: the nearest is 2.3 miles off. At the census, nearly four fifths of people in Chawleigh called their health good or very good, below both Devon’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Chawleigh is North Devon District Hospital, 16.5 miles away.
79%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Chawleigh | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.8% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 21% | 17% |
83.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More of the land in Chawleigh is conservation area than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
At the top of the list, 1 are Grade I and 1 Grade II*. Chawleigh’s listed buildings include the Church of St. James, Grade I. Listed buildings per head: 250 for every 10,000 residents of the town. 31% of its homes were built before 1919, above Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (16%) alike.
16listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*1
Grade II14
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St. James Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
31%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
250
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
Children make up only 11% of Chawleigh, fewer than in both Devon’s towns and England’s towns
30% of residents are 65 or over. People aged 15 to 24 make up a tenth of the town, below Devon’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Ages in Chawleigh split evenly at 54.2: half are older, half younger.
54.2median age
ChawleighDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About 105 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Chawleigh | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.6% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chawleigh
12pages on Chawleigh
The big questions
Safety18.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £385K · rent £878 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 83.8 (men), 86.1 (women)Work & commute56% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards1.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Chawleigh’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ChulmleighMorchard BishopWinkleighWitheridgeBowCopplestoneNorth TawtonChawleigh
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chawleigh | 640 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chulmleigh | 1,232 | 2.1 | — | C | B | B |
| Morchard Bishop | 1,041 | 4.6 | — | C+ | A+ | B+ |
| Winkleigh | 1,342 | 5.7 | — | D | A− | B |
| Witheridge | 1,306 | 5.8 | — | C | C− | B |
| Bow | 1,122 | 6.7 | — | B+ | A | A− |
| Copplestone | 1,475 | 6.9 | — | B | B+ | B |
| North Tawton | 1,785 | 7.3 | — | C+ | B− | C+ |
Chulmleigh, Morchard Bishop, Winkleigh, Witheridge, Bow, Copplestone and North Tawton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Chawleigh
How many listed buildings are there in Chawleigh?
That is 10.3 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St. James.
Is Chawleigh expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £385,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. Private rents in the Mid Devon council area averaged £878 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Chawleigh?
Band D council tax in Chawleigh is £2,615 for 2026–27, more than in 88% 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.
About Chawleigh
Village in Devon, England
Chawleigh is a built-up area of 640 people, in the Mid 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
- 640 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Mid Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006419
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.