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South West

Interactive map displaying South West

About

South West England occupies the peninsula of south‑western England, covering Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and unitary authorities including Bristol. The coastline runs from Land's End and the Isles of Scilly to the Jurassic Coast, a 95-mile sequence of cliffs and fossil beds stretching from Orcombe Point near Exmouth to Old Harry Rocks. Inland landscapes include the granite tors and blanket mires of Dartmoor and Exmoor, the low-lying Somerset Levels with its drainage rhynes, and chalk downland in parts of Wiltshire.

Urban centres range from Bristol and Bath to Plymouth and Salisbury; Bristol sits beside the Avon Gorge and the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bath is known for its Roman baths and Georgian terraces. Farming, fishing, tourism, education and aerospace form key elements of the regional economy. Ferry services connect the mainland to the Isles of Scilly and ports on the south coast handle freight and passenger crossings.

Area overview

On average South West has average deprivation and low crime levels, with around 64 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, about 37% below the England average of 101 per 1,000. Approximately 11.5% of homes in this area are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. The average income per household in South West is £53,078 per year. There are 2229 schools in South West: 1907 primary (113 Outstanding and 1382 Good) and 322 secondary (30 Outstanding and 220 Good). South West is home to around 5,701,186 people, with a population density of about 239.2 per km².

Crime rate
4/10
Crimes per 1k residents
64
Deprivation level
5/10
Income level
5/10
Social housing
11.5%
Connectivity
N/A

Area Profile

South West Population
5,701,186
Population density
239.2 per km²

Crime

Crime per 1,000 population

Violence and sexual offences
33.39(-5%)
Anti-social behaviour
14.91(-9%)
Shoplifting
6.61(-19%)
Public order
6.54(-8%)
Criminal damage and arson
6.49(-11%)
England average

Demographics

Ethnic groups

British
5,008,149
87.84%
Other White
257,594
4.52%
Indian
58,847
1.03%
Other Asian
44,172
0.77%
African
43,318
0.76%
Total population: 5,701,186

Economics

Education (age 16+)

Level 4+ (Degree)
1,566,774
33.08%
Level 3 (A level)
876,607
18.51%
No qualifications
741,183
15.65%
Level 2 (GCSEs 9-4)
678,280
14.32%
Level 1 (GCSEs 3-1)
465,970
9.84%
Total 16+ residents: 4,735,840

Housing

Housing tenure

Owns outright
922,164
37.66%
Owns with a mortgage
691,050
28.22%
Private landlord or letting agency
417,677
17.06%
Other social rented
201,043
8.21%
Social rents from council
123,885
5.06%
Total households: 2,448,879

Property prices in South West

Median price£310,000
Price per sq ft£332
Sales (last 12 months)72,420
Typical range (middle 50%)£230K – £420K

Based on 72,420 recent sales, the median property price is £310,000 (about £332 per square foot) in South West area, with individual transactions ranging from £30,000 up to £100,000,000.

Prices by property typelast 12 months

Median sale price, median price per square foot, sales count, and percentile information for each property type in South West over the last year.
TypeSalesMedian£/sq ft
Detached21,608£450,000£363
Semi-Detached18,272£305,000£334
Terraced21,102£262,000£314
Flats11,438£182,925£290

10-year price trendmedian sale price in South West

Sale price

Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in South West.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£335,000£160,000£229,000£197,000
2017£350,000£164,000£235,000£205,000
2018£360,000£169,000£245,000£210,950
2019£365,000£166,000£247,995£212,500
2020£383,000£175,000£260,000£222,995
2021£415,000£185,000£275,000£240,000
2022£455,000£190,000£310,000£265,000
2023£460,000£190,000£306,000£265,000
2024£449,995£190,200£300,000£260,000
2025£450,000£186,000£305,000£265,000
2026£440,000£180,000£309,000£260,000
Ten year median sale price trend for each property type in South West.

Price per sq ft

Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in South West.
YearDetachedFlatsSemi-DetachedTerraced
2016£271£257£247£233
2017£279£265£255£239
2018£290£271£266£249
2019£292£268£269£249
2020£303£274£278£259
2021£326£288£297£280
2022£367£303£335£314
2023£370£304£335£313
2024£364£303£330£310
2025£364£296£333£314
2026£360£281£335£316
Ten year median sale price per square foot trend for each property type in South West.

Price distribution by property typelast 12 months

Price distribution by property type for South West in the last year.

Frequently asked questions about South West

Is South West safe?

South West records about 64 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, which is a low crime rate for England: it scores 4 out of 10 on the Area360 crime scale, where 10 is the highest crime level.

Which is the safest district in South West?

Among the 26 districts of South West, Isles of Scilly has the lowest crime rate, with about 33 crimes per 1,000 residents per year (the South West average is 64 per 1,000) based on official Police.uk data.

What is the average house price in South West?

The median sale price in South West is £310,000 (about £332 per square foot) based on 72,420 registered sales according to HM Land Registry data.

Are there good schools in South West?

South West has 1,907 primary schools (113 rated Outstanding, 1382 Good) and 322 secondary schools (30 rated Outstanding, 220 Good). Ratings are from the latest Ofsted inspections.

How deprived is South West?

South West scores 5 out of 10 on the deprivation scale, where 10 is the most deprived. The typical neighbourhood in South West sits around rank 17,910 of 32,844 in England on the official Index of Multiple Deprivation (rank 1 is the most deprived).

What is the average household income in South West?

The average household income in South West is around £53,078 per year, and 12% of homes are social housing (ONS data).

Data Sources

All data is sourced from official UK government agencies and public datasets. Last updated: 16/07/2026. Read more about how our statistics are calculated.