West Charleton’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside West Charleton’s built-up area.
39% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
West CharletonDevon
A village of 533 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ruth Sharville · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
533
Census 2021 · South Hams council
Median home
£390K
31 sales in 3 years
Median age
58
39% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
42%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is West Charleton a good place to live?
West Charleton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes West Charleton stand out
The 3 things West Charleton 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%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
39% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Charleton.
Who lives here
An older town: 39% of people in West Charleton are 65 or over, more than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns
People aged 15 to 24 make up 6.2% of the town, below both Devon’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). Children under 15 make up 10% of residents. Half the people of West Charleton are older than 58. Just over two in five adults hold a degree.
58median age
West CharletonDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
39%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications8%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level42%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About 104 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| West Charleton | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 39% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 8.4% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 42% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around West Charleton
64% of pupils at the 3 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Below is its only school. GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 54% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 51.1.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleton Church of England AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 24 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in West Charleton than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 10%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 42% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
87% of commuters drove, above both Devon’s towns (73%) and England’s towns (70%). Working from home was the norm for just over two in five workers at the census. For 44% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot8%
Bicycle2%
44%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£52K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
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
Most households in West Charleton own their home: 79%, more than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns
The social rented sector houses 2% of households. At the median, a home went for £390K, higher than both Devon’s towns (£307K) and England’s towns (£308K). Private rents average £1,012 a month across the South Hams council area.
£390Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
West Charleton£390K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £427,500 | 16 |
| Terraced | £270,000 | 7 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
19%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,012
average private rent a month, South Hams council area
£2,548
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
Violent crime runs low in West Charleton: 8.9 per 1,000 residents a year, under Devon’s towns and England’s towns
Police recorded 9 crimes inside West Charleton’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. There were 2.7 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both Devon’s towns (5.7) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences were 78% of the crimes.
8.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Public order1
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social0
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.
8.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0
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)
9
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
Most people in West Charleton (83%) report good or very good health
Seeing a GP means leaving West Charleton: the nearest practice is 1.8 miles away. The nearest A&E to West Charleton is Torbay Hospital, 17.1 miles away. 18% of residents have a disability, lower than Devon’s towns (21%) and near England’s towns (17%).
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | West Charleton | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.7% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 21% | 17% |
83.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
87.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
History
More of the land in West Charleton is conservation area than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
39% of homes date from before 1919. Every one of West Charleton’s 3 listed buildings sits at Grade II, the most common listing. Per 10,000 residents, West Charleton counts 56 listed buildings, below Devon’s towns (105) but above England’s towns (39).
3listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
39%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
56
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Cookworthy Museum and 2 more in and around West Charleton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near West Charleton. Best known first.
MuseumCookworthy Museum2.2 km outside town, to the northwest
CastleFort Charles4.5 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumSalcombe Maritime Museum3.3 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 (2)
- Cookworthy Museum: Michael Dibb, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fort Charles: Stephen Lea, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about West Charleton
13pages on West Charleton
The big questions
Safety8.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £390K · rent £1,012 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street Charleton WaySchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 83.8 (men), 87.8 (women)Work & commute65% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards4.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
West Charleton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
KingsbridgeSalcombeChillingtonLoddiswellModburyDartmouthStoke GabrielWest Charleton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Charleton | 533 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kingsbridge | 5,682 | 1.4 | B− | C+ | C | B− |
| Salcombe | 1,583 | 2.6 | — | D | B | A+ |
| Chillington | 1,074 | 2.6 | — | C | A+ | A+ |
| Loddiswell | 1,032 | 4.2 | — | B− | B | A |
| Modbury | 1,687 | 8 | — | C− | A | A |
| Dartmouth | 5,260 | 9.1 | C− | C− | C+ | B |
| Stoke Gabriel | 1,340 | 11 | — | C− | A | A |
Salcombe, Chillington, Loddiswell, Modbury and Stoke Gabriel have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about West Charleton
How many listed buildings are there in West Charleton?
3 on Historic England’s list. That is 2.3 times the typical UK town for its size.
Is West Charleton expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £270,000 and detached houses £427,500.
About West Charleton
Village in Devon, England
West Charleton is a built-up area of 533 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
- 533 (Census 2021)
- Council
- South Hams
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63007011
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.