Holsworthy, #1 on this list · Photo: SequenceDancer · CC BY-SA 3.0

Devon rankings · Civic life

Towns with the most civic life in Devon

Holsworthy ranks first on civic life among Devon’s 47 towns of 2,500+; 29 of the 47 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Civic life Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): local registered charities per 1,000 residents and the share living within 1 km of a public library. The rank across England and Wales sits beside each letter. How grades work

Holsworthy

3,472 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#6 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Kingsbridge

5,682 people

A⁺

Better than 98% of UK towns·#18 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Ashburton

3,368 people

A⁺

Better than 98% of UK towns·#22 of 2,156 in England and Wales

All 47 towns, ranked

Civic life grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England and Wales links to the national list.

Every town in Devon →

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47 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Holsworthy3,472 peopleA⁺#6 of 2,156 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

2Kingsbridge5,682 peopleA⁺#18 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 98% of UK towns

3Ashburton3,368 peopleA⁺#22 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 98% of UK towns

4Buckfastleigh2,720 peopleA⁺#57 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

5Budleigh Salterton5,237 peopleA⁺#69 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

6Topsham4,193 peopleA#86 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

7South Molton6,226 peopleA#92 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

T8Chudleigh4,372 peopleA#101 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

T8Kingskerswell3,761 peopleA#101 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

10Totnes9,217 peopleA#105 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

11Crediton7,971 peopleA#127 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 93% of UK towns

12Dartmouth5,260 peopleA#159 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

T13Combe Martin2,707 peopleA#181 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

T13Ottery St Mary6,043 peopleA#181 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

15Tavistock12,676 peopleA#259 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

16Okehampton9,108 peopleA#289 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 88% of UK towns

17Sidmouth13,258 peopleA#316 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

18Great Torrington5,958 peopleA#325 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

19Ilfracombe9,199 peopleA#344 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

20Honiton12,155 peopleA#351 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

21Cullompton8,895 peopleA#374 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 86% of UK towns

22Braunton6,610 peopleA#384 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

23Teignmouth15,314 peopleA⁻#444 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

24Bovey Tracey6,241 peopleA⁻#467 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 83% of UK towns

25Tiverton19,710 peopleA⁻#484 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 82% of UK towns

26Dawlish11,800 peopleA⁻#539 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 81% of UK towns

27Brixham17,839 peopleA⁻#570 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

28Seaton7,429 peopleA⁻#581 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

29Ivybridge12,485 peopleA⁻#597 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

30Exeter126,181 peopleB⁺#686 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 74% of UK towns

31South Brent2,643 peopleB⁺#687 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

32Bideford19,493 peopleB⁺#706 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

33Exmouth35,502 peopleB⁺#766 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 68% of UK towns

34Newton Abbot29,650 peopleB⁺#785 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 67% of UK towns

35Axminster6,094 peopleB⁺#819 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

36Plymouth266,970 peopleB#989 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 56% of UK towns

37Kingsteignton11,945 peopleB#991 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 56% of UK towns

38Barnstaple31,271 peopleB⁻#1,025 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 54% of UK towns

39Torquay52,034 peopleB⁻#1,126 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 50% of UK towns

40Northam5,191 peopleC⁺#1,359 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 39% of UK towns

41Exminster4,388 peopleC#1,458 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 35% of UK towns

42Paignton67,509 peopleC#1,574 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 30% of UK towns

43Fremington5,229 peopleC#1,648 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 27% of UK towns

44Willand3,477 peopleC⁻#1,703 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 25% of UK towns

45Westward Ho!3,468 peopleC⁻#1,831 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 18% of UK towns

46West Clyst2,683 peopleD#1,911 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

47Cranbrook4,936 peopleD#1,922 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 13% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which town in Devon has the most civic life?

Holsworthy ranks first on civic life among 47 towns, with an A+: better than almost every UK town. Kingsbridge and Ashburton follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Civic life Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): local registered charities per 1,000 residents and the share living within 1 km of a public library. The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Devon’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Devon is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Devon lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Devon rankings →

Best places to live47 towns · #1 Ivybridge Best small towns30 towns · #1 Ottery St Mary Most affordable towns47 towns · #1 Tiverton Safest towns47 towns · #1 Budleigh Salterton Towns with the best schools47 towns · #1 Ivybridge Healthiest towns47 towns · #1 Ottery St Mary Best towns for jobs & income47 towns · #1 Ivybridge Most walkable towns47 towns · #1 Exeter Towns with the lowest flood risk47 towns · #1 West Clyst and Willand Best towns for the outdoors47 towns · #1 Plymouth Most historic towns47 towns · #1 Dartmouth Towns with the highest household incomes47 towns · #1 CranbrookDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax47 towns · #1 PlymouthDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters47 towns · #1 IlfracombeDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers47 towns · #1 Exminster and TopshamDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers47 towns · #1 Combe MartinDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts47 towns · #1 IlfracombeDescribed, no letters Driest towns47 towns · #1 ExmouthDescribed, no letters Wettest towns47 towns · #1 BuckfastleighDescribed, no letters

Sources: 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.