Westacott’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Westacott’s built-up area.
0% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WestacottDevon
A village of 691 in Devon, South West. 50% of households own their home outright.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
691
Census 2021 · North Devon council
Median home
£330K
34 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.8
23% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
19%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Westacott a good place to live?
Westacott has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Westacott stand out
The 3 things Westacott does most differently from other towns.
Own outright
Housing
50% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
23% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Band D council tax
Council tax
£2,784 Band D
13% above the typical UK town’s £2,472, 2026–27
Includes the parish or town council. MHCLG.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Westacott.
Who lives here
Children make up only 14% of Westacott, fewer than in Devon’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Westacott is below both Devon’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 9.4% of the town. Westacott has a median age of 49.8.
49.8median age
WestacottDevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
23%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Westacott | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.4% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 34% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Westacott
Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Vale Community SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 311 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Work is close at hand in Westacott: 70% of commuters travel under 5 km, more than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 23% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
In the comparison, Westacott comes above both Devon’s towns (51%) and England’s towns (45%). 79% of commuters drove to work at the census.
19%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving79%
On foot11%
Bicycle7%
Bus1%
70%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£45K
mean household income, before tax
2.7%
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
More households own their home in Westacott than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 85%
For Westacott, that is above both Devon’s towns (64%) and England’s towns (61%). 1% of households live in social housing.
£330Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Westacott£330K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £354,950 | 27 |
| Semi-detached | £290,000 | 7 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£846
average private rent a month, North Devon council area
£2,784
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
Westacott records less burglary and damage per resident than Devon’s towns or England’s towns, at 2.1 per 1,000 a year
Westacott sits below both Devon’s towns (7.5) and England’s towns (9.4) on this measure. Violence comes to 12.1 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 13 crimes inside Westacott’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 2 reports of anti-social behaviour.
12.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual10
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Burglary0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social2
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.
12.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
13
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
86% of people in Westacott say their health is good or very good, more than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns
That puts Westacott above both Devon’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (82%). Westacott has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.9 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
86%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Westacott | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.2% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 21% | 17% |
77.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
2 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Westacott has 2 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 0% of its homes were built before 1919.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
0%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
29
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 →Barnstaple Castle and 4 more in and around Westacott
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Westacott. Best known first.
CastleBarnstaple Castle2.5 km outside town, to the west
Heritage railwayLynton and Barnstaple Railway3.6 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumMuseum of Barnstaple & North Devon2.2 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumSt Anne's Chapel2.2 km outside town, to the westHistoric houseHistoric houseTawstock Castle3.3 km outside town, to the southwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Barnstaple Castle: Jack1956, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lynton and Barnstaple Railway: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon: Jack1956, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Westacott
13pages on Westacott
The big questions
Safety12.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £330K · rent £846 a monthHousing9 sold in 12 months · busiest street Woodland CloseSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 77.5 (men), 83.1 (women)Work & commute39% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Westacott’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
LandkeyBarnstapleBickingtonFremingtonChivenor and WraftonBrauntonAppledoreWestacott
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westacott | 691 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Landkey | 2,001 | 1.3 | — | C− | A | B+ |
| Barnstaple | 31,271 | 1.4 | D | C | D | C |
| Bickington | 2,105 | 3.2 | — | D | B+ | B |
| Fremington | 5,229 | 4.8 | B− | D | A− | B− |
| Chivenor and Wrafton | 1,953 | 5.2 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Braunton | 6,610 | 6.5 | B | D | B+ | B |
| Appledore | 1,711 | 7.7 | — | D− | B | C+ |
Landkey, Bickington, Chivenor and Wrafton and Appledore have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Westacott
How much is council tax in Westacott?
Band D council tax in Westacott is £2,784 for 2026–27, more than in 99% 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.
Who lives in Westacott?
An older village. At the 2021 Census, 23% of residents were 65 or over and 34% were 45 to 64, against 18% and 25% across England’s towns; 14% were under 15.
Is Westacott expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £330,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: semi-detached houses £290,000 and detached houses £354,950. Private rents in the North Devon council area averaged £846 a month in August 2026.
About Westacott
Village in Devon, England
Westacott is a built-up area of 691 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
- 691 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Devon
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63005987
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.