City · Devon

Exeter area guide

Who lives in Exeter, how they live, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Exeter
Region: South West
Population: 132,318 (2024)

ExeterCity · Devon

At a glance

What Exeter is like

Exeter is a city in the South West. It is home to about 132,318 people across 49,993 households. 56.5% of households own their home, 25.4% rent privately and 16.9% are in social housing. The largest age group is 20–24, and 50.4% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is broadly in line with the England and Wales average.

Scores

How Exeter compares

Headline figures for Exeter, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

6.4/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

7/ 10

Around the middle: 33.8 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

TransportMore

7.0/ 10

Very good: 3 stations within a mile, 52 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

79%

Rated good or better across 39 inspected schools in Exeter.

Household incomeMore

£53,485

Average annual income before tax, higher than 51% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where Exeter differs most from the national average.

01
A student area
21% of adults are full-time students, against 7.9% across England. Expect HMO demand and term-time turnover.
02
A young populationPositive
26.8% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
03
A big private rental marketPositive
25.4% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
04
Well connectedPositive
3 stations within a mile and 52 bus stops within a ten-minute walk.

Questions

Exeter FAQs

Is Exeter a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 6.4 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 33.8 per 1,000 people a year, band 7 of 10 nationally. 79% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10 (very good).

Is Exeter safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 33.8 offences per 1,000 people a year around Exeter, broadly in line with the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 7 of 10.

Who lives in Exeter?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 20–24, at 12.9% of residents. 56.5% of households own their home. The most common property type is terraced (31.4%).

How well connected is Exeter?

Connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10.

There are 52 bus stops within 800m and 3 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 7.0 out of 10 (very good). The nearest station is St James Park (Devon) Rail Station, 0.6 miles away.

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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