Wembury’s story
4 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Wembury’s built-up area.
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WemburyDevon
A village of 1,828 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Mark.murphy · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,828
Census 2021 · South Hams council
Median home
£410K
79 sales in 3 years
Median age
56.1
37% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
43%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Wembury a good place to live?
Wembury has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is health (A+): life expectancy 82.9 for men, 88 for women. Its weakest is cost of living (C−): median sale £410,000, 7.6 years of area income; rent £1,012 a month.
Devon And Cornwall Police published 33 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Wembury stand out
The 3 things Wembury does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
37% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
89%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 89%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How Wembury grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Wembury is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthA+Open →SafetyA+Open →Cost of livingC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £62,340; 0.8% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsA−Open →WalkabilityCOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 79% of towns in England; secondary results beat 58% of towns in EnglandB+Open →Hazard risk0.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History4 listed buildings, 1 Grade IC−Open →Outdoors53% live within 400 m of a park; 41% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life2.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wembury.
Who lives here
Wembury skews older, with 37% of residents 65 or over, more than Devon’s towns or England’s towns
On this, Wembury is above both Devon’s towns (24%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for 6.6% of residents. Half the people of Wembury are older than 56.1.
56.1median age
WemburyDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
37%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications11%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar16%
Degree level43%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 90 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.
| Wembury | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.6% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 16% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 37% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.5% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 43% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsB+
Results at Wembury’s schools beat 73% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
B+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wembury Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 194 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
Life expectancy in Wembury is longer than in 94% of UK towns
Women here live to 88 on average and men to 82.9 (2019–23). At the census, 84% of people in Wembury called their health good or very good, above both Devon’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Wembury is Derriford Hospital, 6.6 miles away.
84%good or very good healthA+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Wembury | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.9% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 17% | 21% | 17% |
82.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
88
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Safety
Wembury has less crime per resident than 95% of UK towns
Burglary and damage came to 3 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Devon’s towns (7.6) and England’s towns (9.4). Violent crime runs at 11.3 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 38 crimes inside Wembury’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 1 reports of anti-social behaviour.
11.3violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 89% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual29
Burglary3
Damage & arson2
Other crime2
Other theft1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Anti-social1
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.
11.3
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
38
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C−
More households own their home in Wembury than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 88%
In the comparison, Wembury comes above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). 7% of households rent privately.
£410Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Wembury£410K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £490,000 | 53 |
| Semi-detached | £345,000 | 18 |
| Terraced | £282,500 | 8 |
88%
of households own their home · England 61%
7%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,012
average private rent a month, South Hams council area
£2,571
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
Much of Wembury is a conservation area: 100% 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.
Conservation areas cover 100% of Wembury’s land, above both Devon’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (7%). 11% of homes were built before 1919. Wembury’s listed buildings include Church of St Werburgh, Grade I.
4listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II3
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Werburgh Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
11%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
22
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Commuters in Wembury travel far: only 16% go under 5 km, fewer than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 37% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Wembury, that is below both Devon’s towns (51%) and England’s towns (45%). 10% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot5%
Bicycle3%
Bus1%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
37%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£62K
mean household income, before tax
0.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C
Walkability: more walkable than 26% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Bovisand and 4 more in and around Wembury
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Wembury. Best known first.
CastleBovisand3.6 km outside town, to the west
MuseumWembury Marine Centre200 m outside town, to the south
FortPlymouth Breakwater Fort5 km outside town, to the westHistoric houseHistoric houseWembury House200 m outside town, to the eastHistoric houseHistoric houseThorn House1000 m outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Bovisand: Richard Knights, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wembury Marine Centre: Glen Denny, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Plymouth Breakwater Fort: David Stowell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wembury
15pages on Wembury
The big questions
SafetyA+11.3 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC−Median home £410K · rent £1,012 a monthHousing22 sold in 12 months · busiest street Mewstone AvenueSchoolsB+1 state schoolHealthA+Life expectancy 82.9 (men), 88 (women)Work & commuteA−53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Wembury’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
SherfordYealmptonPlymouthMillbrookTorpointIvybridgeModburyWembury
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wembury | 1,828 | — | — | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Sherford | 1,311 | 2.8 | — | C+ | D− | A− |
| Yealmpton | 2,007 | 3.4 | — | C | A+ | A |
| Plymouth | 266,970 | 5.1 | C | C+ | D | C− |
| Millbrook | 2,299 | 6.4 | — | D− | B− | B− |
| Torpoint | 7,163 | 6.8 | C− | C− | C | C |
| Ivybridge | 12,485 | 8 | A− | C+ | B− | B+ |
| Modbury | 1,687 | 8.4 | — | C− | A | A |
Sherford, Yealmpton, 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 Wembury
Is Wembury expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £410,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £282,500, semi-detached houses £345,000 and detached houses £490,000.
About Wembury
Village in Devon, England
Wembury is a built-up area of 1,828 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
- 1,828 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Hams
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006979
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.