List of settlements in Devon by population

Last updated November 12, 2023

This list is of towns and cities in Devon in order of their population, according to the 2011 census data from the Office for National Statistics. It comprises the Key Statistics for local authorities, civil parishes and wards that attempt to show their populations. The largest settlement in Devon is the city and unitary authority of Plymouth with a population of 256,720, whereas the smallest settlement was the town and civil parish of Beer with a population of 1,317. The city of Exeter, which is home to Exeter Cathedral, is the county town and headquarters of Devon County Council. The ceremonial county of Devon includes unitary authority areas of Plymouth and Torbay, but the non-metropolitan county of Devon excludes such unitary authority areas. It is governed by Devon County Council, whereas Plymouth and Torbay can govern themselves on matters such as transport and education.

Traditionally a town is any settlement which has received a charter of incorporation, more commonly known as a town charter, approved by the monarch. However, since 1974, any civil parish has the right to declare itself as a town. Prior to 1888, city status was given to settlements home to a cathedral of the Church of England such as Exeter. After 1888 it was no longer a necessary condition, leading to Plymouth gaining city-status in 1928. Historical towns such as Plympton, Stonehouse and Devonport, which were merged into the city of Plymouth, have not been included, as well as Topsham, which became a part of Exeter's urban district, and St Marychurch, which was annexed by Torquay. However, the unitary authority area of Torbay recognises the three towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. The ward for Ottery St Mary is also included, as it is titled Ottery St Mary Town.

Changes to population structures have, however, led to explosions in non-traditional settlements that do not fall into traditional, bureaucratic definitions of 'towns'. Several villages, which are not included in this list, have grown steadily and are more populous than many towns. For example, the ward of Fremington, with a population of 4,310.^[1] would be ranked 34 whilst its neighbour Braunton civil parish, with a population of 8,128,^[2] would be ranked 21.

2011 rank	Town/city	Population		Increase since 2001	Notes	Image
2011 rank	Town/city	2011^[3]	2001^[4]	Increase since 2001	Notes	Image
1	Plymouth	256,384	240,720	6.1%	City and unitary authority, which includes the suburbs of Plympton and Plymstock. Plympton used to be a separate town and Plymstock is a parish.
2	Exeter	117,773	111,076	5.7%	City, urban district and the county town (capital) of Devon
3	Torquay	65,245^[5]	63,998^[6]	1.9%	Part of the unitary authority of Torbay
4	Paignton	49,021^[5]	48,251^[6]	1.6%	Part of the unitary authority of Torbay
5	Exmouth	34,432	32,972	4.2%	Civil parish
6	Barnstaple	24,033	20,724	13.8%	Civil parish
7	Newton Abbot	24,029	23,580	1.9%	Civil parish
8	Tiverton	21,335	18,621	12.7%	Civil parish
9	Brixham	16,693^[5]	17,457^[6]	-4.6%	Civil parish; part of the unitary authority of Torbay.^[7]
10	Bideford	16,610	14,407	13.3%	Civil parish
11	Teignmouth	14,749	14,413	2.3%	Civil parish
12	Sidmouth	13,737	13,135	4.4%	Civil parish
13	Dawlish	13,161	13,135	0.2%	Civil parish
14	Tavistock	12,280	11,604	5.5%	Civil parish
15	Northam	12,062	11,018	8.7%	Civil parish
16	Ivybridge	11,851	12,056	-1.7%	Civil parish
17	Ilfracombe	11,509	10,840	5.8%	Civil parish	$Ilfracombe.jpg$
18	Honiton	11,156	10,857	2.7%	Civil parish
19	Kingsteignton	10,451	10,615	-1.6%	Civil parish
20	Cullompton	8,499	7,609	10.5%	Civil parish
21	Crediton	7,600	6,837	10.0%	Civil parish
22	Totnes	7,456	7,444	0.2%	Civil parish
23	Bovey Tracey	7,168	6,929	3.3%	Civil parish
24	Okehampton	7,104	5,846	17.7%	Civil parish
25	Seaton	7,096	6,798	4.2%	Civil parish
26	Axminster	6,557	5,626	14.2%	Civil parish
27	Kingsbridge	5,887	5,521	6.2%	Civil parish
28	Great Torrington	5,714	5,279	7.6%	Civil parish
29	Dartmouth	5,605	5,512	1.7%	Civil parish
30	Budleigh Salterton	5,185	4,801	7.4%	Civil parish
31	Ottery St. Mary	4,898	4,366	10.9%	Ward, which refers to Ottery St Mary as a "town".
32	South Molton	4,875	4,093	16.0%	Civil parish
33	Chudleigh	4,378	3,846	12.2%	Civil parish
34	Ashburton	4,087	3,909	4.4%	Civil parish
35	Buckfastleigh	3,631	3,661	-0.8%	Civil parish
36	Exminster	3,616	3,310	8.5%	Civil parish
37	Colyton	3,165	2,964	6.4%	Civil parish including Colyford
38	Holsworthy	2,641	2,256	14.6%	Civil parish
39	Bradninch	2,206	1,916	13.1%	Civil parish
40	Salcombe	1,909	1,893	0.8%	Civil parish
41	North Tawton	1,859	1,570	15.5%	Civil parish
42	Hatherleigh	1,729	1,306	24.5%	Civil parish
43	Hartland	1,724	1,676	2.8%	Civil parish
44	Moretonhampstead	1,703	1,536	9.8%	Civil parish
45	Chagford	1,449	1,470	-1.4%	Civil parish
46	Chulmleigh	1,323	1,308	1.1%	Civil parish
47	Beer	1,317	1,381	-4.9%	Civil parish

Related Research Articles

Devon is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west. The city of Plymouth is the largest settlement, and the city of Exeter is the county town.

Torquay is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies 18 miles (29 km) south of the county town of Exeter and 28 miles (45 km) east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay and across from the fishing port of Brixham.

Brixham is a coastal town and civil parish in the borough of Torbay in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. As of the 2021 census, Brixham had a population of 16,825. It is one of the main three centres of the borough, along with Paignton and Torquay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torbay</span> Borough in Devon, England

Torbay is unitary authority with a borough status in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. It is governed by Torbay Council, based in the town of Torquay. The borough also includes the towns of Paignton and Brixham. The borough consists of 62.87 square kilometres (24.27 sq mi) of land around the east-facing Tor Bay, part of Lyme Bay on the English Channel. A popular tourist destination, Torbay's sandy beaches, mild climate and recreational and leisure attractions have given rise to its nickname of the "English Riviera".

Paignton is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon, England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the borough of Torbay which was created in 1968. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton has origins as a Celtic settlement and was first mentioned in 1086. It grew as a small fishing village and a new harbour was built in 1847. A railway line was opened to passengers in 1859 creating links to Torquay and London. As its population increased, it merged with the villages of Goodrington and Preston. Paignton is around 25 miles (40 km) north east of Plymouth and 20 miles (32 km) south of Exeter.

South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England. Its council is based in the town of Totnes, although the largest town is Ivybridge. The district also contains the towns of Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Salcombe and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

North Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based just outside Barnstaple, the district's largest town. The district also includes the towns of Ilfracombe, Lynton and Lynmouth and South Molton along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

Teignbridge is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in the town of Newton Abbot. The district also includes the towns of Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Dawlish, Kingsteignton and Teignmouth, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Teignbridge contains part of the south Devon coastline, including the Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve. Some of the inland western parts of the district lie within the Dartmoor National Park. It is named after the old Teignbridge hundred.

Braunton is a large village, civil parish, ecclesiastical parish and former manor in Devon. The village is situated 5 miles (8 km) west of Barnstaple. It is one of the largest villages in Devon with a population at the 2021 census of 10,217 people. There are two electoral wards. Their joint population at the above census was 8,218. Within the parish is the fertile, low-lying Braunton Great Field, which adjoins the undulating Braunton Burrows, the Core Area in North Devon Biosphere Reserve, the largest psammosere in England. It confronts the Atlantic Ocean at the west of the parish at the large beach of Saunton Sands, one of the South West's international-standard surfing beaches.

Kingswear is a village and civil parish in the South Hams area of the English county of Devon. The village is located on the east bank of the tidal River Dart, close to the river's mouth and opposite the small town of Dartmouth. It lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and has a population of 1,332, reducing to 1,217 at the 2011 census.

Heanton Punchardon ( ) is a village, civil parish and former manor, anciently part of Braunton Hundred. It is situated directly east-southeast of the village of Braunton, in North Devon. The parish lies on the north bank of the estuary of the River Taw and it is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Braunton, Marwood, Ashford and across the estuary, Fremington. The population was 418 in 1801 and 404 in 1901. Its largest localities are Wrafton and Chivenor. The surrounding area is also an electoral ward with a total population at the 2011 census of 2,673.

Exeter City Council is the local authority for Exeter, a non-metropolitan district with city status in Devon, England.

Churston Ferrers is an area and former civil parish, in the borough of Torbay, Devon, England, situated between the south coast towns of Paignton and Brixham. Today it is administered by local government as the Churston-with-Galmpton ward of the Torbay unitary authority. It contains the coastal village of Churston, the now larger village of Galmpton and the Broadsands area.

The Herald Express is a local newspaper covering the Torbay area of the United Kingdom. It is published by Reach plc. It serves a wide surrounding area of coastal and inland communities in South Devon, which attracts millions of tourists each year to swell its 100,000-plus resident population.

Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon. Based in the city of Exeter, the council covers the non-metropolitan county area of Devon. Members of the council (councillors) are elected every four years. Almost all councillors are members of the major national political parties.

Galmpton is a semi-rural village in Torbay, in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. It is located in the ward of Churston-with-Galmpton and the historic civil parish of Churston Ferrers, though some areas historically considered parts of Galmpton, such as Greenway and Galmpton Creek, are situated in the Devon borough of South Hams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torbay Council</span>

Torbay Council is the local authority for Torbay, a unitary authority with borough status in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. The council is based in Torquay.

References

↑ "Ward population 2011" . Retrieved 19 February 2015.
↑ "Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics: Braunton". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
↑ "2011 Population: All Usual Residents". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. 27 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
↑ "Key Figures for 2001 Census: All people". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. 1 April 2001. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
1 2 3 "Census 2011 - Torbay Profile". Torbay Council. 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2017. (Word document)
1 2 3 "Key Statistics for Tobray — May 2005" (PDF). Census 2001 . The Consultation and Research Team, Torbay Council. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
↑ "Brixham Town Council". Torbay Council. 29 October 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2009.

50°42′N3°48′W / 50.7°N 3.8°W / 50.7; -3.8

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Ward population 2011" . Retrieved 19 February 2015.

[2] "Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics: Braunton". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2017.

[3] "2011 Population: All Usual Residents". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. 27 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2017.

[4] "Key Figures for 2001 Census: All people". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. 1 April 2001. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2008.

[CTP-5] 1 2 3 "Census 2011 - Torbay Profile". Torbay Council. 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2017. (Word document)

[torbay-6] 1 2 3 "Key Statistics for Tobray — May 2005" (PDF). Census 2001 . The Consultation and Research Team, Torbay Council. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2008.

[7] "Brixham Town Council". Torbay Council. 29 October 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2009.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

v t e Ceremonial county of Devon
Devon Portal
Unitary authorities	Plymouth Torbay
Boroughs or districts	East Devon Exeter Mid Devon North Devon South Hams Teignbridge Torridge West Devon
Major settlements (cities in italics)	Ashburton Axminster Bampton Barnstaple Bideford Bovey Tracey Brixham Buckfastleigh Budleigh Salterton Chagford Chudleigh Chulmleigh Colyton Crediton Cullompton Dartmouth Dawlish Exeter Exmouth Great Torrington Hatherleigh Holsworthy Honiton Ilfracombe Ivybridge Kingsbridge Kingsteignton Lynton Moretonhampstead Newton Abbot North Tawton Northam Okehampton Ottery St Mary Paignton Plymouth Plympton Plymstock Salcombe Seaton Sidmouth South Molton Tavistock Teignmouth Tiverton Topsham Torquay Totnes See also: List of civil parishes in Devon
Rivers	Ashburn Avon Axe Barle Bovey Bray Burn Clyst Creedy Culm Dart East Dart West Dart Erme Exe Heddon Lemon Lew Lumburn Lyd East Lyn West Lyn Meavy Mole Okement East Okement West Okement Otter Plym Sid Swincombe Tamar Tavy Taw Teign Thrushel Torridge Walkham Wallabrooke East Webburn West Webburn Wolf Yealm
Topics	Flag Devon County Council Parliamentary constituencies Economy Places Towns by population SSSIs Country houses Grade I listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings Bridges History Schools Museums Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Notable people Dartmoor Exmoor South Devon AONB Tamar Valley AONB Jurassic Coast South West Coast Path Two Moors Way North Devon's Biosphere Reserve

List of settlements in Devon by population

See also

Related Research Articles

References