#1Budleigh Salterton
5,237 people18.1 crimes per 1,000 a year·13.1 violent and sexual, 5.0 homes and vehicles·#89 of 2,138 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Budleigh Salterton, #1 on this list · Photo: Simon Cobb · CC0Devon rankings · Safety
Safest towns in Devon
Budleigh Salterton records the least crime per resident of Devon’s 47 towns of 2,500+ with police.uk figures: 18.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year (13.1 violent and sexual offences, 5.0 against homes and vehicles). 5 of the 47 grade A− or better on safety.
The Safety Grade: violent and sexual offences, burglary, vehicle crime and criminal damage recorded inside the town by police.uk, per 1,000 residents a year over three years, lowest first. The rank across England, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work
#1A
#2Bovey Tracey
6,241 people20.0 crimes per 1,000 a year·14.8 violent and sexual, 5.2 homes and vehicles·#140 of 2,138 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
#T3Northam
5,191 people20.2 crimes per 1,000 a year·14.0 violent and sexual, 6.2 homes and vehicles·#145 of 2,138 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
All 47 towns, ranked
Crimes per 1,000 residents a year, lowest first; the sort uses the exact rate. Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.
47 towns.
#TownGrade · UK rankCrime rate
1Budleigh Salterton5,237 peopleA#89 of 2,138 nationally18.1 crimes per 1,000 a year·13.1 violent and sexual, 5.0 homes and vehicles
2Bovey Tracey6,241 peopleA−#140 of 2,138 nationally20.0 crimes per 1,000 a year·14.8 violent and sexual, 5.2 homes and vehicles
T3Northam5,191 peopleA−#145 of 2,138 nationally20.2 crimes per 1,000 a year·14.0 violent and sexual, 6.2 homes and vehicles
T3Fremington5,229 peopleA−#149 of 2,138 nationally20.2 crimes per 1,000 a year·15.6 violent and sexual, 4.7 homes and vehicles
5Exminster4,388 peopleA−#221 of 2,138 nationally22.4 crimes per 1,000 a year·16.8 violent and sexual, 5.6 homes and vehicles
6Braunton6,610 peopleB+#340 of 2,138 nationally25.1 crimes per 1,000 a year·17.3 violent and sexual, 7.8 homes and vehicles
7Ottery St Mary6,043 peopleB#429 of 2,138 nationally26.9 crimes per 1,000 a year·20.6 violent and sexual, 6.3 homes and vehicles
8Seaton7,429 peopleB#443 of 2,138 nationally27.2 crimes per 1,000 a year·22.6 violent and sexual, 4.6 homes and vehicles
9Kingsteignton11,945 peopleB#528 of 2,138 nationally28.6 crimes per 1,000 a year·20.0 violent and sexual, 8.6 homes and vehicles
10Sidmouth13,258 peopleB#586 of 2,138 nationally29.5 crimes per 1,000 a year·21.8 violent and sexual, 7.6 homes and vehicles
11Chudleigh4,372 peopleB#630 of 2,138 nationally30.3 crimes per 1,000 a year·22.9 violent and sexual, 7.4 homes and vehicles
12South Brent2,643 peopleB−#644 of 2,138 nationally30.5 crimes per 1,000 a year·22.1 violent and sexual, 8.4 homes and vehicles
T13Topsham4,193 peopleB−#671 of 2,138 nationally31.1 crimes per 1,000 a year·20.2 violent and sexual, 10.9 homes and vehicles
T13Great Torrington5,958 peopleB−#674 of 2,138 nationally31.2 crimes per 1,000 a year·23.4 violent and sexual, 7.9 homes and vehicles
15Ivybridge12,485 peopleB−#705 of 2,138 nationally31.8 crimes per 1,000 a year·24.2 violent and sexual, 7.6 homes and vehicles
16Combe Martin2,707 peopleB−#750 of 2,138 nationally32.5 crimes per 1,000 a year·25.8 violent and sexual, 6.7 homes and vehicles
17Willand3,477 peopleB−#808 of 2,138 nationally33.6 crimes per 1,000 a year·25.2 violent and sexual, 8.4 homes and vehicles
18Kingskerswell3,761 peopleC+#932 of 2,138 nationally36.3 crimes per 1,000 a year·25.0 violent and sexual, 11.3 homes and vehicles
T19Ashburton3,368 peopleC+#964 of 2,138 nationally36.8 crimes per 1,000 a year·28.1 violent and sexual, 8.8 homes and vehicles
T19Tavistock12,676 peopleC+#972 of 2,138 nationally37.0 crimes per 1,000 a year·27.9 violent and sexual, 9.1 homes and vehicles
21Dartmouth5,260 peopleC+#978 of 2,138 nationally37.1 crimes per 1,000 a year·28.6 violent and sexual, 8.6 homes and vehicles
T22West Clyst2,683 peopleC+#1,007 of 2,138 nationally37.7 crimes per 1,000 a year·27.6 violent and sexual, 10.0 homes and vehicles
T22Honiton12,155 peopleC+#1,027 of 2,138 nationally38.0 crimes per 1,000 a year·29.1 violent and sexual, 9.0 homes and vehicles
T24Exmouth35,502 peopleC+#1,083 of 2,138 nationally39.4 crimes per 1,000 a year·30.3 violent and sexual, 9.2 homes and vehicles
T24South Molton6,226 peopleC+#1,091 of 2,138 nationally39.5 crimes per 1,000 a year·30.5 violent and sexual, 9.0 homes and vehicles
T26Brixham17,839 peopleC+#1,122 of 2,138 nationally40.2 crimes per 1,000 a year·30.1 violent and sexual, 10.1 homes and vehicles
T26Holsworthy3,472 peopleC+#1,123 of 2,138 nationally40.2 crimes per 1,000 a year·33.7 violent and sexual, 6.5 homes and vehicles
28Totnes9,217 peopleC#1,168 of 2,138 nationally41.1 crimes per 1,000 a year·27.8 violent and sexual, 13.3 homes and vehicles
29Westward Ho!3,468 peopleC#1,200 of 2,138 nationally41.8 crimes per 1,000 a year·33.2 violent and sexual, 8.6 homes and vehicles
30Teignmouth15,314 peopleC#1,256 of 2,138 nationally43.3 crimes per 1,000 a year·32.0 violent and sexual, 11.3 homes and vehicles
31Kingsbridge5,682 peopleC#1,305 of 2,138 nationally44.6 crimes per 1,000 a year·31.2 violent and sexual, 13.4 homes and vehicles
32Okehampton9,108 peopleC#1,327 of 2,138 nationally45.3 crimes per 1,000 a year·34.1 violent and sexual, 11.2 homes and vehicles
33Cullompton8,895 peopleC−#1,401 of 2,138 nationally47.4 crimes per 1,000 a year·37.4 violent and sexual, 10.0 homes and vehicles
34Bideford19,493 peopleC−#1,475 of 2,138 nationally49.5 crimes per 1,000 a year·37.9 violent and sexual, 11.6 homes and vehicles
T35Dawlish11,800 peopleC−#1,523 of 2,138 nationally51.3 crimes per 1,000 a year·39.4 violent and sexual, 11.8 homes and vehicles
T35Crediton7,971 peopleC−#1,530 of 2,138 nationally51.5 crimes per 1,000 a year·39.3 violent and sexual, 12.2 homes and vehicles
T35Newton Abbot29,650 peopleC−#1,534 of 2,138 nationally51.6 crimes per 1,000 a year·40.4 violent and sexual, 11.2 homes and vehicles
38Buckfastleigh2,720 peopleC−#1,601 of 2,138 nationally53.3 crimes per 1,000 a year·42.2 violent and sexual, 11.1 homes and vehicles
39Paignton67,509 peopleC−#1,619 of 2,138 nationally53.8 crimes per 1,000 a year·40.2 violent and sexual, 13.7 homes and vehicles
40Cranbrook4,936 peopleC−#1,691 of 2,138 nationally56.7 crimes per 1,000 a year·46.0 violent and sexual, 10.7 homes and vehicles
41Axminster6,094 peopleD#1,702 of 2,138 nationally57.2 crimes per 1,000 a year·44.8 violent and sexual, 12.4 homes and vehicles
T42Tiverton19,710 peopleD#1,794 of 2,138 nationally61.4 crimes per 1,000 a year·45.4 violent and sexual, 16.0 homes and vehicles
T42Exeter126,181 peopleD#1,806 of 2,138 nationally62.1 crimes per 1,000 a year·47.6 violent and sexual, 14.5 homes and vehicles
44Barnstaple31,271 peopleD#1,822 of 2,138 nationally62.6 crimes per 1,000 a year·48.0 violent and sexual, 14.6 homes and vehicles
45Plymouth266,970 peopleD#1,850 of 2,138 nationally64.2 crimes per 1,000 a year·49.4 violent and sexual, 14.8 homes and vehicles
46Ilfracombe9,199 peopleD#1,915 of 2,138 nationally68.9 crimes per 1,000 a year·52.1 violent and sexual, 16.8 homes and vehicles
47Torquay52,034 peopleD−#2,047 of 2,138 nationally82.8 crimes per 1,000 a year·62.6 violent and sexual, 20.2 homes and vehicles
Quick answers
Questions people ask
What is the safest town in Devon?
Budleigh Salterton ranks first on safety among 47 towns, with an A: 18.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year (13.1 violent and sexual offences, 5.0 against homes and vehicles). Bovey Tracey and Northam follow.
How are these towns ranked?
The Safety Grade: violent and sexual offences, burglary, vehicle crime and criminal damage recorded inside the town by police.uk, per 1,000 residents a year over three years, lowest first. 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
All Devon rankings →More Devon lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live47 towns · #1 IvybridgeBest small towns30 towns · #1 Ottery St MaryMost affordable towns47 towns · #1 TivertonTowns with the best schools47 towns · #1 IvybridgeHealthiest towns47 towns · #1 Ottery St MaryBest towns for jobs & income47 towns · #1 IvybridgeMost walkable towns47 towns · #1 ExeterTowns with the lowest flood risk47 towns · #1 West Clyst and WillandBest towns for the outdoors47 towns · #1 PlymouthMost historic towns47 towns · #1 DartmouthTowns with the most civic life47 towns · #1 HolsworthyTowns with the highest household incomes47 towns · #1 CranbrookDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest council tax47 towns · #1 PlymouthDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters47 towns · #1 IlfracombeDescribed, no lettersTowns with the warmest summers47 towns · #1 Exminster and TopshamDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers47 towns · #1 Combe MartinDescribed, no lettersTowns with the fewest frosts47 towns · #1 IlfracombeDescribed, no lettersDriest towns47 towns · #1 ExmouthDescribed, no lettersWettest towns47 towns · #1 BuckfastleighDescribed, no letters
County by county
Safest towns, county by county
BedfordshireBerkshireBuckinghamshireCambridgeshireCheshireClwydCornwallCounty DurhamCumbriaDerbyshireDevonDorsetDyfedEast Riding of YorkshireEast SussexEssexGloucestershireGwentHampshireHertfordshireKentLancashireLeicestershireLincolnshireLondonMerseysideMid GlamorganNorfolkNorth YorkshireNorthamptonshireNorthumberlandNottinghamshireOxfordshireShropshireSomersetSouth YorkshireStaffordshireSuffolkSurreyTyne and WearWarwickshireWest GlamorganWest MidlandsWest SussexWest YorkshireWiltshireWorcestershire
Sources: data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · 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.