Devon facts
People know Devon for its stunning coastline of golden beaches and rugged cliffs, its glorious countryside - including two national parks - and its picturesque villages. Devon offers a huge range of experiences, from the calm tranquillity of its many traditional seaside towns, to the bustling shops and busy nightlife of Exeter, with everything in between.
But Devon is also a county of financial deprivation and isolation, with a constant challenge for health and social care as the demand for these services continues to rise. Around 95,000 people live in wards ranked among the 25% most disadvantaged in the country and around 75% of Devon settlements have populations of less than 1,000.
The largest populations are based in the City of Exeter and the market and coastal towns. In Devon 81% of households own at least one car. Transport in the rural areas is limited and so getting to work, school or leisure activities are very difficult.
There are fewer unemployed people in Devon than many other parts of the country, with 1.8% of the population currently declared as unemployed. However, jobs are often low paid, and seasonal. Many jobs are connected with the tourist industry, which means long hours in the summer but nothing in the winter. There are only a few large employers in Devon which means that there can be limited opportunities for good career progression. The majority of businesses (84%) are small and employ less than 10 people. The main employment areas are agriculture, manufacturing, wholesale, retail, repair, health, social care and tourism.
Approximately three quarters of a million people live in Devon, but every year nearly eight million visitors come to the County either on business or for holidays. Each year there are more deaths than births recorded, but the population is gradually increasing as about 4,400 people move into Devon each year. However many young people aged 20-24 leave to live in other places as they cannot find the kind of jobs which will give them a good career.
Housing in Devon is more expensive but wages are much lower than other parts of the country. An average house costs something like eight times the average annual salary. This means that it is difficult for first time house buyers to find a house where they want at a price they can afford.
The Black and Minority Ethnic community has doubled in the last 10 years but with only around 8,000 people it still only represents about 1.1% of the population. Many are able to describe experiences of prejudice and discrimination. Racist incidents (relative to the population) are higher in the South West of England than anywhere else in the country.
Young people in Devon are achieving very similar numbers and grades of GCSEs to those in the rest of the country with 51% gaining 5 or more GCSEs at grades A*-C. 89% of 16 year olds remain in fulltime education and 71% of 18-24 year olds are either in full-time education or employment.
Generally the health of people in Devon is good but there are concerns about young people’s health particularly in regard to obesity, binge drinking and smoking (some 22% of young people smoke regularly at age 15).
For more statistical information about Devon, contact the Facts and Figures team, who bring together a range of statistics about the people of Devon, their social, employment, and economic circumstances, and the commercial and natural environment in which they live.