Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A village of 886 in Devon, South West.
South Zeal has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
The 3 things South Zeal does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside South Zeal’s built-up area.
54% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in South Zeal.
Half the people of South Zeal are older than 52. People 65 and over make up 27% of the town, above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Under 15: 16% of residents.
53% women, 47% men
About 89 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.
| South Zeal | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.5% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 39% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The town has one school, shown below. At the one primary school within 3 km, 52% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Tawton Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 201 | C− |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 36% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
85% of commuters drove, above Devon’s towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Among 16 to 64s, 1.5% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026. About just over a tenth of its commuters stay in South Zeal for work. There are 0.4 jobs in South Zeal for each resident in work.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
73% of households own their home, above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). Private rents average £846 a month across the West Devon council area. The median sale, £387,500, comes from 30 standard sales inside South Zeal’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £467,500 | 14 |
| Semi-detached | £314,650 | 9 |
| Terraced | £269,500 | 7 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Violent crime ran at 7.8 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Devon’s towns (21.5) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 16 crimes inside South Zeal’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 63% of recorded crime.
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.
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.
The nearest A&E to South Zeal is Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford), 17.8 miles away. There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 3.9 miles off. Disability touches 18% of the town’s population.
| Census 2021 | South Zeal | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 21% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Scaled to its population, that is 271 listed buildings for every 10,000 people in South Zeal. Conservation areas cover 44% of the town’s land, higher than both Devon’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (7%). Historic England’s list names 24 listed buildings locally: 5 Grade II*.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near South Zeal. Best known first.
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Zeal | 886 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Okehampton | 9,108 | 3.8 | C− | B− | C | C+ |
| Chagford | 1,107 | 4.7 | — | D | A | B |
| North Tawton | 1,785 | 5.2 | — | C+ | B− | C+ |
| Bow | 1,122 | 6.7 | — | B+ | A | A− |
| Moretonhampstead | 1,334 | 7.7 | — | C− | B− | A |
| Winkleigh | 1,342 | 9.3 | — | D | A− | B |
| Copplestone | 1,475 | 9.5 | — | B | B+ | B |
Chagford, North Tawton, Bow, Moretonhampstead, Winkleigh and Copplestone have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 11.1 times the typical UK town for its size.
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 27% of residents were 65 or over and 31% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 16% were under 15.
Band D council tax in South Zeal is £2,656 for 2026–27, more than in 93% 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.
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £387,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £269,500, semi-detached houses £314,650 and detached houses £467,500.
Village in Devon, England
South Zeal is a built-up area of 886 people, in the West Devon 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
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.