Swimbridge’s story
14 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Swimbridge’s built-up area.
23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SwimbridgeDevon
A village of 683 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
683
Census 2021 · North Devon council
Median home
£280K
24 sales in 3 years
Median age
53.3
31% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
32%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
11%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Swimbridge a good place to live?
Swimbridge has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Swimbridge stand out
The 3 things Swimbridge does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade I, including Church of St James; 8.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
11% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Swimbridge.
Who lives here
An older town: 31% of people in Swimbridge are 65 or over, more than in both Devon’s towns and England’s towns
The 15-to-24 age group: 8.5%, below Devon’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. The share of residents under 15 is 13%. The age that splits Swimbridge in two is 53.3.
53.3median age
SwimbridgeDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications19%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level32%
Women and men · all 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.
| Swimbridge | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.5% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.6% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 32% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Swimbridge
There is one school here; it is shown below. At the 2 primary schools within 3 km, 63% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one primary school teaches 79 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimbridge Church of England Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 79 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Work tends to be further away for Swimbridge: 16% commute under 5 km, below Devon’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 32% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Jobs per working resident: 0.5. At the census, 11% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (27%) alike. Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.4% of 16 to 64s in 2026. About 8% of its commuters stay in Swimbridge for work.
11%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot6%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
32%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£53K
mean household income, before tax
1.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
Swimbridge is a town of owners: 76% of households own their home, above Devon’s towns and England’s towns
6% of households rent from a council or housing body. Private renters make up 17% of households, below Devon’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. Also worth knowing: the £280,000 median rests on 24 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£280Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Swimbridge£280K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £370,000 | 11 |
| Terraced | £235,000 | 9 |
76%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£846
average private rent a month, North Devon council area
£2,591
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Swimbridge records less violent crime per resident than Devon’s towns or England’s towns, at 10.1 per 1,000 a year
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.7 reports per 1,000, below both Devon’s towns (5.7) and England’s towns (7.8). Homes see 3.2 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Reported offences in Swimbridge came to 18 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 3. Of all the crimes, 50% were violence and sexual offences.
10.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Damage & arson2
Public order2
Burglary2
Other theft1
Drugs1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social3
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.
10.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
18
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.
Health
More people in Swimbridge say their health is bad than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 8.3%
At the census, just over a fifth of people here had a disability, above both Devon’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (17%). Self-reported good health: 78% of Swimbridge’s residents. Seeing a GP means leaving Swimbridge: the nearest practice is 3.3 miles away.
78%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Swimbridge | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.3% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 21% | 17% |
82.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86
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
More buildings in Swimbridge are listed than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 205 per 10,000 residents
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Before 1919: that is when 23% of homes were built. Swimbridge’s listed buildings include the Church of St James, Grade I. Historic England’s list names 14 listed buildings here: 1 Grade I. Conservation areas cover 37% of the town’s land, higher than both Devon’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (7%).
14listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II13
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St James Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
23%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
205
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Swimbridge
13pages on Swimbridge
The big questions
Safety10.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £280K · rent £846 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.2 (men), 86 (women)Work & commute51% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards4.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Swimbridge’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LandkeyBarnstapleBickingtonSouth MoltonFremingtonChivenor and WraftonBrauntonSwimbridge
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swimbridge | 683 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Landkey | 2,001 | 1.6 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Barnstaple | 31,271 | 4.1 | D | C | D | C |
| Bickington | 2,105 | 5.7 | — | D | B+ | B |
| South Molton | 6,226 | 6.4 | C− | C | C+ | C+ |
| Fremington | 5,229 | 7.3 | B− | D | A− | B− |
| Chivenor and Wrafton | 1,953 | 7.9 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Braunton | 6,610 | 9.2 | B | D | B+ | B |
Landkey, Bickington and Chivenor and Wrafton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Swimbridge
How many listed buildings are there in Swimbridge?
That is 8.4 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St James.
How much is council tax in Swimbridge?
Band D council tax in Swimbridge is £2,591 for 2026–27, more than in 83% 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.
About Swimbridge
Village in Devon, England
Swimbridge is a built-up area of 683 people, in the North 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
- Population
- 683 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006049
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.