What it's like to live in Totnes

The South Hams is dominated by home ownership: 70.5% of homes are owned, 16.1% are privately rented and only 11.8% are social rented, well below the England figure of 17.1%. Within that, housing associations hold most of the stock, at 10%, with council housing at just 1.9%.

The main social landlords across the district are LiveWest Homes, with around 3,754 homes, followed by The Guinness Partnership, Westward Housing Group, Clarion Housing Association and Sovereign Network Group. Average weekly social rents in 2024/25 were about £101 for a one bed, £114 for two and £127 for three.

The population skews older than England as a whole: 28.3% are 65 or over and 29.6% are 45 to 64, with 19.1% aged 25 to 44. Demand for social housing is high relative to supply, with 1,490 households on the South Hams register at 31 March 2025 and 244 homes let through the council in 2024-25. That is why exchanging is worth serious thought.

Families have a good cluster of schools close by. The Grove School is right in the town, with Totnes St John's Church of England Primary School about half a mile away. Dartington Church of England Academy and Berry Pomeroy Parochial Church of England Primary School are both under two miles out, which is useful if you want a smaller village school.

For older children, King Edward VI Community College is around half a mile from the centre and is the main secondary option. River Dart Academy and Park School are within a couple of miles, and there are independent and specialist settings including Totnes Independent School and On Track Education.

For younger children and weekends, Borough Park, Leechwell Gardens and Vire Island give space close to home, and Totnes Library is a short walk from the centre. Bridgetown Community Hall and Follaton Village Hall are the places to look for toddler groups and clubs. Across the wider South Hams, under-16s make up 15.3% of the population, lower than the England figure of 18.6%, so it is not a young area.

Totnes station is about a third of a mile from the centre and sits on the main line between Plymouth and Exeter, which makes train travel a genuine option rather than a last resort. Totnes Riverside, a little further out, is the heritage line station, and Staverton and Nappers Halt are within a few miles.

The town itself is compact enough to walk, though the hill up Fore Street and High Street is steep and will be hard going for some. Most shops, the library, the pharmacies and the hospital are within half a mile of the centre, and the riverside paths give a flatter route.

By road, Totnes connects towards Torbay, Newton Abbot and the A38 corridor for Plymouth and Exeter. A car makes the surrounding villages, beaches and Dartmoor much easier to reach, and parking in the centre can be tight. Bus services link the town with nearby villages and larger towns, so check the current timetables for the routes you would rely on.

Totnes punches above its weight for a town of its size. Totnes Cinema is in the centre and The Barn Cinema is about a mile and a half away at Dartington, so there is a choice of screens without leaving the area. Totnes Library is a minute from the main street.

The pub scene is varied and close together: the Waterman's Arms, King William IV, Rumour, The Totnes Brewing Company and the Waterside Bistro are all within a few minutes of each other, with the river right there.

Outdoors, Leechwell Gardens and Shady Garden are quiet green corners, Borough Park is the bigger open space, and Vire Island sits in the Dart itself. Throgmorton House Open Space adds another pocket of green. Beyond the town, the Dart valley, the South Hams countryside and the coast are all within a short drive, and the village halls at Ashprington and Harbertonford host community events worth keeping an eye on.

Across the South Hams council area, 54.1% of adults are in work, a little below the England figure of 57.4%, which partly reflects an older population. Unemployment is low at 1.9% against 3.5% nationally, and benefit claimants among 16 to 64 year olds stood at 2.1% in September 2026 compared with 4% in England.

That picture suggests work is available but the market is small and local. In a town of this size, jobs tend to be in shops, hospitality, care, education and health, and Totnes Community Hospital and the schools are among the larger local employers.

For wider choice, the train line matters. Plymouth and Exeter are both reachable by rail from Totnes station, and Newton Abbot and Torbay are closer still by road. Plenty of people here commute out or combine part-time local work with travel, and remote or hybrid working suits a town where housing is scarce but connections are decent.