Sherford’s story
4 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Sherford’s built-up area.
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SherfordDevon
A village of 1,311 in Devon, South West. Only 4% of residents are 65 or over.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Gwyn Jones · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,311
Census 2021 · South Hams council
Median home
£324K
226 sales in 3 years
Median age
31
4% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
39%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Sherford a good place to live?
Sherford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is schools (A): primary results beat 93% of towns in England; secondary results beat 76% of towns in England. Its weakest is safety (D−): 81 violent and sexual offences and 16.9 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Among UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has less crime per resident than 1%. The median home sold for £324,000 in the last three years, 6 times what households in the South Hams council area earn in a year.
Devon And Cornwall Police published 33 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Sherford stand out
The 3 things Sherford does most differently from other towns.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 4% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results beat 93%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 76%. Department for Education.
How Sherford grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Sherford is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 93% of towns in England; secondary results beat 76% of towns in EnglandAOpen →WalkabilityDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 82 for men, 86.2 for womenA−Open →Cost of livingC+Open →Jobs & income3.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryC−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 28% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life0 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sherford.
Safety
Sherford has more crime per resident than 99% of UK towns
Reported offences in Sherford came to 210 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 27. Of all the crimes, 59% were violence and sexual offences.
81violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearD−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 1% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual123
Public order20
Other theft20
Damage & arson19
Weapons9
Other crime8
Vehicle crime4
Shoplifting2
Anti-social27
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.
81
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
16.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
26.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
210
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.
SchoolsA
School results in Sherford are better than in 89% of towns in England
The town has one school, shown below. Attainment 8 at the 4 secondary schools within 3 km averages 49.4, and 54% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. 347 pupils attend Sherford’s one primary school.
ASchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherford Vale School & NurseryLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 347 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Under 5 km to work: 20% in Sherford, fewer than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Before tax, the average household brings in £59K a year. At the census, 8% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (27%) alike. The car carried 88% of commuters at the census.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot3%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
3.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 12% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Bad health is less common in Sherford than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 2.6% of residents
Women here live to 86.2 on average and men to 82 (2019–23). 91% of Sherford’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above both Devon’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%). A disability affects 12% of people here. Also worth knowing: this Devon town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.5 miles away.
91%good or very good healthA−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 91%Fair 7%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Sherford | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 91% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.6% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 21% | 17% |
82
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Much of Sherford is a conservation area: 79% of its land, more than Devon’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list names 4 listed buildings in Sherford, every one Grade II. 9% of homes date from before 1919. Scaled to its population, Sherford has 31 listed buildings per 10,000 people, about level with England’s towns (39) and below Devon’s towns (107).
4listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
31
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
Private renting is less common in Sherford than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 8%
Social housing holds one in ten households, lower than both Devon’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,008 a month across the South Hams council area. Half of the 226 standard sales inside Sherford’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £324,000.
£324Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sherford£324K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £400,225 | 30 |
| Semi-detached | £335,000 | 96 |
| Terraced | £315,000 | 76 |
| Flat or maisonette | £129,750 | 24 |
65%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,008
average private rent a month, South Hams council area
£2,493
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Sherford has fewer older residents than Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 4.4% are 65 or over
Among adults, 39% have a degree. 28% are under 15, above both Devon’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Half the people of Sherford are older than 31.
31median age
SherfordDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
12%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications6%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar27%
Degree level39%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Sherford | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 28% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 37% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 18% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 4.4% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 6.4% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.4% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 27% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Saltram House and 6 more in and around Sherford
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sherford. Best known first.
Historic house · National TrustSaltram House2.2 km outside town, to the northwest
CastlePlympton Castle1.4 km outside town, to the north
MuseumPlym Valley Railway3.3 km outside town, to the northwest
FortFort Austin4.6 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumWembury Marine Centre5 km outside town, to the southHistoric houseHistoric houseWembury House4 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Saltram House: Chilli Head from Weston-super-Mare, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Plympton Castle: Tony Atkin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Plym Valley Railway: Mark A Coleman, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fort Austin: Tony Atkin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wembury Marine Centre: Glen Denny, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sherford
14pages on Sherford
The big questions
SafetyD−81 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £324K · rent £1,008 a monthHousing54 sold in 12 months · busiest street Aquila DriveSchoolsA1 state schoolHealthA−Life expectancy 82 (men), 86.2 (women)Work & commuteB−41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Sherford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
YealmptonWemburyPlymouthIvybridgeTorpointMillbrookModburySherford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherford | 1,311 | — | — | C+ | D− | A− |
| Yealmpton | 2,007 | 2.4 | — | C | A+ | A |
| Wembury | 1,828 | 2.8 | — | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Plymouth | 266,970 | 3.8 | C | C+ | D | C− |
| Ivybridge | 12,485 | 6 | A− | C+ | B− | B+ |
| Torpoint | 7,163 | 6.8 | C− | C− | C | C |
| Millbrook | 2,299 | 7.2 | — | D− | B− | B− |
| Modbury | 1,687 | 7.3 | — | C− | A | A |
Yealmpton, Wembury, Millbrook and Modbury have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sherford
Who lives in Sherford?
A young village. At the 2021 Census, 28% of residents were under 15 and 37% were 25 to 44, against 18% and 27% across England’s towns; only 4.4% were 65 or over.
Are schools in Sherford good?
GCSE results beat 76% of towns in England, and primary results beat 93% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Devon council.
About Sherford
Village in Devon, England
Sherford is a built-up area of 1,311 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
- 1,311 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Hams (mostly)
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006947
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.