Heybrook Bay’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Heybrook Bay’s built-up area.
10% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Heybrook BayDevon
A village of 467 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Martin Bodman · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
467
Census 2021 · South Hams council
Median home
£476K
24 sales in 3 years
Median age
64.1
49% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
37%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Heybrook Bay a good place to live?
Heybrook Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Heybrook Bay stand out
The 3 things Heybrook Bay 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%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
49% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Own outright
Housing
72% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Drake's Island and 10 more in and around Heybrook Bay
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Heybrook Bay. Best known first.
FortDrake's Island4.4 km outside town, to the northwest
Castle · English HeritageRoyal Citadel4.8 km outside town, to the north
AquariumNational Marine Aquarium4.9 km outside town, to the north
CastleBovisand1.6 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumWembury Marine Centre2.1 km outside town, to the east
MuseumElizabethan House5 km outside town, to the northPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Drake's Island: Janipewter, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Royal Citadel: Adam Cuerden, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- National Marine Aquarium: MyNameIsClare, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bovisand: Richard Knights, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wembury Marine Centre: Glen Denny, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Elizabethan House: Palickap, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Heybrook Bay.
Who lives here
An older town: 49% of people in Heybrook Bay are 65 or over, more than in both Devon’s towns and England’s towns
Degrees are held by 37% of adults, above Devon’s towns (30%) and England’s towns (34%) alike. Those aged 15 to 24 account for 5.2% of residents. Half the people of Heybrook Bay are older than 64.1. One measure of family life: 6.7% of residents are under 15.
64.1median age
Heybrook BayDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
49%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications15%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level37%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 87 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.
| Heybrook Bay | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 6.7% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 5.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 9.2% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 49% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.8% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 37% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Heybrook Bay walk, cycle or take the bus or train 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.
0.9% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below Devon’s towns (2.3%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. For 23% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. Work in town: 3% of resident commuters. Driving is how 88% of commuters got to work at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot4%
Bicycle3%
Bus1%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£62K
mean household income, before tax
0.9%
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
Homes in Heybrook Bay cost more than in both Devon’s towns and England’s towns, with a median sale of £476K
Owners make up 94% of households, above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 5% of households. That is the middle of 24 standard sales inside Heybrook Bay’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£476Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Heybrook Bay£476K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £475,760 | 22 |
94%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,012
average private rent a month, South Hams council area
£2,571
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
Heybrook Bay records less violent crime per resident than Devon’s towns or England’s towns, at 2.3 per 1,000 a year
Burglary and damage came to 1.6 per 1,000 residents a year, below Devon’s towns (7.5) and England’s towns (9.4) alike. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 2 crimes inside Heybrook Bay’s built-up area. Violence and sexual offences accounted for half of recorded crime.
2.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Other theft0
Burglary0
Drugs0
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.
2.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.6
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)
2
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
Bad health is less common in Heybrook Bay than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.5% of residents
The nearest A&E to Heybrook Bay is Derriford Hospital, 6.6 miles away. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.7 miles away. 20% of residents have a disability, between Devon’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (17%).
82%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Heybrook Bay | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.5% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 21% | 17% |
82.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
88
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
More of the land in Heybrook Bay 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.
Heybrook Bay has 21 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. A tenth of its homes were built before 1919, below Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Its heritage register entries (1 listed building) are all Grade II.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
10%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
21
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 Heybrook Bay
13pages on Heybrook Bay
The big questions
Safety2.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £476K · rent £1,012 a monthHousing4 sold in 12 months · busiest street Westlake RiseSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.9 (men), 88 (women)Work & commute56% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.5% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Heybrook Bay’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WemburySherfordPlymouthMillbrookYealmptonTorpointSaltashHeybrook Bay
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heybrook Bay | 467 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wembury | 1,828 | 1.7 | — | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Sherford | 1,311 | 4 | — | C+ | D− | A− |
| Plymouth | 266,970 | 4.9 | C | C+ | D | C− |
| Millbrook | 2,299 | 4.9 | — | D− | B− | B− |
| Yealmpton | 2,007 | 5.1 | — | C | A+ | A |
| Torpoint | 7,163 | 5.6 | C− | C− | C | C |
| Saltash | 15,433 | 7.8 | C− | D | C+ | C+ |
Wembury, Sherford, Millbrook and Yealmpton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Heybrook Bay
Is Heybrook Bay expensive to live in?
Private rents in the South Hams council area averaged £1,012 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Heybrook Bay?
Band D council tax in Heybrook Bay is £2,571 for 2026–27, more than in 81% 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 Heybrook Bay
Village in Devon, England
Heybrook Bay is a built-up area of 467 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
- 467 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Hams
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006980
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.