What it's like to live in Chard

Across the Somerset council area, 13.7% of homes are socially rented, below the England figure of 17.1%, split between 5% council and 8.7% housing association. Two thirds of homes are owned outright or with a mortgage and 17.7% are privately rented, so social housing is a smaller slice of the market than in many urban areas. That's part of why mutual exchange matters here.

Average weekly social rents in Somerset in 2024/25 were around £94 for a one bed, £109 for two beds and £120 for three beds. The main social landlords in the area are Somerset Council with about 9,682 homes, Abri Group with 9,637, LiveWest with 5,264, Aster Communities with 4,407 and Magna Housing with 2,565.

The age profile across Somerset skews older than England: 24.8% are 65 or over against 18.4% nationally, while under 16s make up 16.8%. Somerset's housing register held 12,473 households at the end of March 2025, and a register is not a simple queue, which is one reason many tenants look at swapping instead.

Chard is well served for a town of its size. Primary options close to the centre include Manor Court Community Primary School and Chard School, both about two hundred metres from the middle of town, with The Redstart Primary School half a mile away and Avishayes Community Primary School under a mile. Tatworth Primary School sits a couple of miles out for families on that side.

For older children, Holyrood Academy is right in the town, a short walk from the centre, and 3 Dimensions is just over a mile away. Having a secondary school this close means teenagers can usually get themselves to and from school without a long bus journey, which is not the case in many Somerset villages.

Outside school hours, Snowdon Park is the main green space for younger children, and Chard Leisure Centre offers somewhere to burn energy when the weather turns. Chard Young Peoples Centre is in the town centre. As always, check current admission arrangements and places directly with the schools before you plan a move.

Chard is a walkable town, and that's its biggest practical strength. The main schools, supermarkets, pharmacies, the leisure centre and the park are all within a mile of the centre, with several within half a mile. For many households here, the daily routine can be done on foot without much planning.

A car makes life easier for anything outside the town, and plenty of Chard households rely on one. Trips to larger towns, bigger hospitals or wider job markets usually mean driving, and the roads out of Chard run through open countryside, so journeys are pleasant but not quick.

If you don't drive, check the local bus timetables carefully before you commit to a swap, including evenings and Sundays, and look at how you'd reach work, college or hospital appointments. Rural Somerset services can be thinner than in a city. The same goes for rail: look up which station you'd use and how you'd get to it. Knowing that before you move saves a lot of frustration later.

Chard's leisure offer is practical rather than glamorous. Chard Leisure Centre is the main indoor option, a few minutes from the town centre, and Snowdon Park is the nearby green space for walks, play and meeting other parents. Beyond the edge of town, the Somerset countryside is right there for walking and cycling.

The pub scene is decent for a town this size. The Cerdic, The Choughs and The King's Head are all in or beside the town centre, with the Happy Return Inn a short walk further and The Haymaker just over a mile out. They're the sort of places where locals drink rather than visitors.

Community buildings carry a lot of the social life. Forefront Community Centre and Chard Young Peoples Centre are both central, and Combe St Nicholas Village Hall and Chaffcombe Village Hall serve the villages a couple of miles away. These are the places to look for groups, classes and children's activities once you've settled in. For bigger nights out, shopping trips or cinema, you'll be travelling.

Figures for the wider Somerset council area show 56.6% of adults in work, almost exactly the England average of 57.4%. Unemployment runs lower than nationally, at 2.3% against 3.5% for England, and in August 2026 2.6% of 16 to 64 year olds across Somerset were claiming unemployment-related benefits, compared with 4% in England as a whole.

So work is available, but a lower unemployment rate doesn't automatically mean well-paid or convenient work. In a town like Chard, jobs tend to be spread between the town itself and the surrounding area, which means travel is part of the picture for many households.

If you're moving for a specific job, check the journey before you accept a swap: how long it takes, what it costs, and whether it works without a car if you don't drive. If you work from home, the quiet and the space here are a genuine advantage, but do confirm broadband speeds at the exact address rather than for the town in general.