St Stephen's church, High Street, Exeter

Exeter, #1 on this list · Photo: David Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0

Devon rankings · Walkability

Most walkable towns in Devon

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

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

Exeter

126,181 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#49 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Dartmouth

5,260 people

A⁺

Better than 98% of UK towns·#68 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Ilfracombe

9,199 people

A⁺

Better than 97% of UK towns·#84 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 47 towns, ranked

Walkability 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, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.

Every town in Devon →

Find a town

47 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Exeter126,181 peopleA⁺#49 of 2,515 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

2Dartmouth5,260 peopleA⁺#68 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 98% of UK towns

3Ilfracombe9,199 peopleA⁺#84 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

4Totnes9,217 peopleA⁺#100 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

5Topsham4,193 peopleA⁺#112 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

6Kingsbridge5,682 peopleA⁺#125 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

7Barnstaple31,271 peopleA⁺#137 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

8Crediton7,971 peopleA#222 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 93% of UK towns

9Torquay52,034 peopleA#280 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 91% of UK towns

10Sidmouth13,258 peopleA#340 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

T11Great Torrington5,958 peopleA#358 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

T11South Molton6,226 peopleA#358 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

13Exmouth35,502 peopleA#367 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

14Holsworthy3,472 peopleA#377 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

T15Dawlish11,800 peopleA#381 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 88% of UK towns

T15Seaton7,429 peopleA#381 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 88% of UK towns

17Plymouth266,970 peopleA#416 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 88% of UK towns

18Tiverton19,710 peopleA#419 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

19Braunton6,610 peopleA#439 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

20Okehampton9,108 peopleA#449 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

21Teignmouth15,314 peopleA⁻#527 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

22Brixham17,839 peopleA⁻#558 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

23Tavistock12,676 peopleA⁻#569 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 83% of UK towns

24Honiton12,155 peopleA⁻#617 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 82% of UK towns

25Bideford19,493 peopleA⁻#658 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

26Ashburton3,368 peopleA⁻#702 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

27Paignton67,509 peopleA⁻#769 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 77% of UK towns

28Newton Abbot29,650 peopleA⁻#816 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 76% of UK towns

29Axminster6,094 peopleA⁻#831 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

30Combe Martin2,707 peopleB⁺#893 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

31Ottery St Mary6,043 peopleB⁺#981 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

32Budleigh Salterton5,237 peopleB⁺#1,130 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns

33Exminster4,388 peopleB⁺#1,139 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns

34Buckfastleigh2,720 peopleB#1,176 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

35South Brent2,643 peopleB#1,187 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

36Cullompton8,895 peopleB#1,261 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 62% of UK towns

37Willand3,477 peopleB#1,313 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

38Northam5,191 peopleB#1,379 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 58% of UK towns

39Westward Ho!3,468 peopleB#1,421 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 57% of UK towns

40Fremington5,229 peopleB#1,454 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 56% of UK towns

41Ivybridge12,485 peopleB#1,463 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

42Bovey Tracey6,241 peopleB⁻#1,570 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

43Cranbrook4,936 peopleB⁻#1,634 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

44West Clyst2,683 peopleB⁻#1,679 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

45Chudleigh4,372 peopleB⁻#1,683 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 47% of UK towns

46Kingskerswell3,761 peopleC⁺#1,854 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns

47Kingsteignton11,945 peopleC⁺#1,928 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most walkable town in Devon?

Exeter ranks first on walkability among 47 towns, with an A+: better than almost every UK town. Dartmouth and Ilfracombe follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). 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 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 most civic life47 towns · #1 Holsworthy 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: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · 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.