Westward Ho!’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Westward Ho!’s built-up area.
14% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Westward Ho!Devon
A town of 3,468 in Devon, South West.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Kicior99 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,468
Census 2021 · Torridge council
Median home
£300K
318 sales in 3 years
Median age
58
38% are 65+ · Devon 24%
Degree level
27%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
D−
Better than 4% of UK towns
Is Westward Ho! a good place to live?
Westward Ho! grades D− overall against UK towns: better than 4% of UK towns. Its weakest is cost of living (D): median sale £299,750, 7 years of area income; rent £789 a month.
Devon And Cornwall Police published 33 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Westward Ho! stand out
The 3 things Westward Ho! does most differently from other towns.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
38% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 95%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 30%. Department for Education.
How Westward Ho! grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Westward Ho! is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingDOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £43,226DOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 5% of towns in England; secondary results beat 30% of towns in EnglandDOpen →Hazard risk1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →SafetyCOpen →WalkabilityBOpen →HealthLife expectancy 81.7 for men, 83 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingDOpen →Outdoors63% live within 400 m of a park; 18% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life1.7 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 Westward Ho!.
Who lives here
An older town: 38% of people in Westward Ho! are 65 or over, more than in both Devon’s towns and England’s towns
27% of adults hold a degree. Children under 15 make up 8.9%, below Devon’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Young adults of 15 to 24 are 7.2% of the population. Westward Ho! has a median age of 58.
58median age
Westward Ho!DevonEngland
Ages · share of residents
38%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level27%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 93 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.
| Westward Ho! | Devon | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 8.9% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 38% | 24% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.5% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 27% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
HousingCost of living grade D
Westward Ho! is a renters’ town: 26% of households rent privately, more than in both Devon’s towns and England’s towns
Social housing holds 4% of households, below both Devon’s towns (14%) and England’s towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 69%. The median sale, £299,750, comes from 318 standard sales inside Westward Ho!’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£300Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Westward Ho!£300K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £419,950 | 139 |
| Semi-detached | £257,750 | 82 |
| Terraced | £265,000 | 39 |
| Flat or maisonette | £182,500 | 58 |
69%
of households own their home · England 61%
26%
rent privately · England 21%
£789
average private rent a month, Torridge council area
£2,618
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
Westward Ho!’s one listed building is Grade II
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 3 listed buildings for every 10,000 people in Westward Ho!. 14% of its homes were built before 1919, about level with England’s towns (16%) and below Devon’s towns (24%).
1listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
14%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
3
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Violent crime runs high in Westward Ho!: 33.2 per 1,000 residents a year, above Devon’s towns and England’s towns
Violence and sexual offences accounted for 68% of recorded crime. Police figures for Westward Ho!’s built-up area: 232 crimes and 35 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Among the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, Westward Ho! has more crime per resident than 71% of them.
33.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 29% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual158
Damage & arson22
Shoplifting12
Other theft12
Public order8
Vehicle crime7
Drugs4
Other crime4
Anti-social35
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.
33.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
232
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Fewer commuters in Westward Ho! walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Devon’s towns or England’s towns: 15%
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.
Just over two in five commuters travelled under 5 km, about level with England’s towns (45%) and below Devon’s towns (51%). At the census, 83% of commuters went by car. About 6% of its commuters stay in Westward Ho! for work. Among 16 to 64s, 3.4% claimed unemployment benefits in 2026.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
On foot9%
Bus5%
Bicycle1%
42%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£43K
mean household income, before tax
3.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 57% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Westward Ho! say their health is good than in Devon’s towns or across England’s towns: 74%
There is no GP practice in Westward Ho!: the nearest is 0.9 miles off. At the census, nearly a tenth of people here described their health as bad or very bad. In addition, 24% of residents have a disability, above Devon’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (17%) alike. The nearest A&E to Westward Ho! is North Devon District Hospital, 8.8 miles away.
74%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 74%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Westward Ho! | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 74% | 80% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.1% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 21% | 17% |
81.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Pebble Ridge Adventure Golf and Go Karts and 8 more in and around Westward Ho!
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Westward Ho!. Best known first.
Theme parkTheme parkPebble Ridge Adventure Golf and Go Kartsin town
MuseumNorth Devon Maritime Museum2 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumBurton at Bideford2.3 km outside town, to the southeast
CastleTapeley Park3.4 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumBideford Railway Heritage Centre1.6 km outside town, to the southTheme parkTheme parkThe BIG Sheep1.9 km outside town, to the south
MuseumNorth Devon Maritime Museum2 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumBurton at Bideford2.3 km outside town, to the southeastCastleTapeley Park3.4 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumBideford Railway Heritage Centre1.6 km outside town, to the southTheme parkTheme parkThe BIG Sheep1.9 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 (3)
- North Devon Maritime Museum: Rob Noble, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Burton at Bideford: User:Jack1956, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tapeley Park: Richard Croft, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Westward Ho!
15pages on Westward Ho!
The big questions
SafetyC33.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £300K · rent £789 a monthHousing71 sold in 12 months · busiest street Curlew DriveSchoolsDHealthB−Life expectancy 81.7 (men), 83 (women)Work & commuteD43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Westward Ho!’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
NorthamAppledoreBidefordFremingtonChivenor and WraftonBrauntonBickingtonWestward Ho!
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westward Ho! | 3,468 | — | D− | D | C | B− |
| Northam | 5,191 | 0.9 | C | D− | A− | C+ |
| Appledore | 1,711 | 1.8 | — | D− | B | C+ |
| Bideford | 19,493 | 1.9 | D− | C− | C− | C |
| Fremington | 5,229 | 4.8 | B− | D | A− | B− |
| Chivenor and Wrafton | 1,953 | 5.4 | — | C− | B+ | B− |
| Braunton | 6,610 | 5.5 | B | D | B+ | B |
| Bickington | 2,105 | 6.4 | — | D | B+ | B |
Appledore, Chivenor and Wrafton and Bickington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Westward Ho!
Are schools in Westward Ho! good?
Places are handled by Devon council.
Is Westward Ho! safe?
Burglary was rare, with 2 reports in the year.
Does Westward Ho! flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Westward Ho!
Town in Devon, England
Westward Ho! is a built-up area of 3,468 people, in the Torridge 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
- 3,468 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Torridge
- County
- Devon
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006074
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.