Exton’s story
9 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Exton’s built-up area.
30% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ExtonDevon
A village of 1,287 in Devon, South West. One resident in 2 is 15 to 24.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Exton Farmhouse · Photo: Simon Cobb · CC0
Population
1,287
Census 2021 · East Devon council
Median home
£900K
22 sales in 3 years
Median age
26
16% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
35%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
57%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Exton a good place to live?
Exton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A+): 4.2 violent and sexual offences and 3.1 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is cost of living (C−): median sale £900,000, 16.9 years of area income; rent £968 a month.
Devon And Cornwall Police published 33 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Exton stand out
The 3 things Exton does most differently from other towns.
Residents aged 15 to 24
Who lives here
1 in 2 is 15 to 24
42% of residents, against 12% across England’s towns
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
3.2 times the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 Grade II*, including Exton Farmhouse; 2.9 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
How Exton grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Exton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyA+Open →WalkabilityA+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £64,201A+Open →HealthLife expectancy 82.7 for men, 87.6 for womenAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →Hazard risk1.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 44% of towns in EnglandC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History30% of homes built before 1919B+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 7% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life4.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Exton.
Who lives here
Students and young workers shape Exton: 42% are 15 to 24, above Devon’s towns and England’s towns
People 65 and over make up 16% of the town, below both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Children under 15 make up 4.8% of residents. At 26, the median resident of Exton sits in the middle of the age range. Also worth knowing: 35% of adults hold a degree.
26median age
ExtonDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
42%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar28%
Degree level35%
Women and men · all residents
24% women, 76% men
About 31 women for every 100 men. Across England, 51% of residents are women. A large institution, such as a prison, barracks, boarding school, university or care home, can tilt a town’s split: the census counts the people living there as residents.
| Exton | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 4.8% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 42% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 14% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 16% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 8.2% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.3% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 28% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 35% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Safety
Per resident, Exton sees less crime than 100% of UK towns
There were 1.1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below Devon’s towns (5.7) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Police recorded 13 crimes inside Exton’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences made up 8% of the total.
4.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 99% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Other theft6
Drugs2
Other crime2
Violence & sexual1
Shoplifting1
Vehicle crime1
Damage & arson0
Public order0
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.
4.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
13
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Commuters in Exton travel far: only 11% go under 5 km, fewer than in Devon’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 41% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
0.3% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below Devon’s towns (2.3%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. The census found 57% of commuters going to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Work in town: 2% of resident commuters. Driving is how nearly two in five commuters got to work at the census.
57%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
On foot47%
Driving39%
Bus4%
Bicycle4%
Train1%
11%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
41%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£64K
mean household income, before tax
0.3%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A+
Walkability: more walkable than almost every UK town
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Is Exton a healthy place? 89% of its people say their health is good, above Devon’s towns and England’s towns
Men in Exton can expect to live to 82.7, women to 87.6 (2019–23). Its share in bad or very bad health, 2%, is the lowest of the 104 towns in Devon. 17% of residents in Exton live with a disability. Seeing a GP means leaving Exton: the nearest practice is 1.7 miles away.
89%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 89%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 2%
| Census 2021 | Exton | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 89% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 21% | 17% |
82.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
HousingCost of living grade C−
Most households in Exton own their home: 89%, more than in Devon’s towns and across England’s towns
Social housing holds 1% of households, below Devon’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. 10% of households are private tenants. From September 2023 to August 2026, 22 homes sold inside Exton’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £900,000.
£900Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Exton£900K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £905,000 | 19 |
89%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
rent privately · England 21%
£968
average private rent a month, East Devon council area
£2,599
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
Exton keeps more of its old housing than Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 30% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Exton has 9 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 2 Grade II*. Relative to its size, Exton keeps 70 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, below Devon’s towns (107) but above England’s towns (39).
9listed buildingsB+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*2
Grade II7
Among them · Grade II*
- Exton Farmhouse Grade II*
- Exton House Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
30%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
70
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Powderham Castle and 8 more in and around Exton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Exton. Best known first.
CastlePowderham Castle2.5 km outside town, to the southwest
Historic house · National TrustA la Ronde2.8 km outside town, to the southeast
Theme parkCrealy Adventure Park3.5 km outside town, to the north
MuseumTopsham Museum1.1 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumExmouth Museum4.7 km outside town, to the southAttractionAttractionRaceworld4.2 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Powderham Castle: raymond cocks, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- A la Ronde: Becks, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Crealy Adventure Park: Simon Cobb, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Topsham Museum: Simon Cobb, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Exmouth Museum: Jasskurn, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Exton
14pages on Exton
The big questions
SafetyA+4.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £900K · rent £968 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street Green LaneSchoolsC+HealthALife expectancy 82.7 (men), 87.6 (women)Work & commuteA+60% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC1.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Exton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LympstoneWoodburyTopshamStarcrossExminsterExmouthClyst St MaryExton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exton | 1,287 | — | — | C− | A+ | A |
| Lympstone | 1,838 | 1.1 | — | C− | A− | A |
| Woodbury | 1,749 | 1.7 | — | C | B | A |
| Topsham | 4,193 | 2.1 | B | D− | B− | A− |
| Starcross | 1,687 | 2.8 | — | B | B− | B− |
| Exminster | 4,388 | 2.8 | B+ | C− | A− | B |
| Exmouth | 35,502 | 2.9 | C | C+ | C+ | B− |
| Clyst St Mary | 1,193 | 3.1 | — | C− | A− | A+ |
Lympstone, Woodbury, Starcross and Clyst St Mary have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Exton
Is Exton expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £900,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
How many listed buildings are there in Exton?
That is 2.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
About Exton
Village in Devon, England
Exton is a built-up area of 1,287 people, in the East 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
- 1,287 (Census 2021)
- Council
- East Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006768
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.