Town Pop. 63,277

Living in Paignton: Liveability Score 61/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Paignton is 61/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 81/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 48/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

No other settlement in the TQ2 postcode district scores higher. Paignton leads all 3. Notably, nothing falls below 41/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. It scores 5 points above the TQ2 postcode district as a whole, which averages 56/100. For the surrounding area, see TQ2 postcode district.

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Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Paignton scores 61 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Paignton.

Or compare:

TQ2 5AA TQ2 6AA TQ2 7AA TQ2 8AA TQ2 TQ3 TQ4 TQ5

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

90 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3

Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months

Violence and sexual offences 2,552 crimes

↑ 21% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 781 crimes

↓ 19% below national average

Criminal damage and arson 464 crimes

≈ similar to national average

Shoplifting 460 crimes

≈ similar to national average

Other theft 415 crimes

≈ similar to national average

other 1,022 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Supermarket 255 crimes
2 Parking Area 250 crimes
3 Littlefield Close 179 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 4.9 · PM2.5 5.4 · PM10 9.4 µg/m³

Green Space 62

Parks Ample 71

Sports Pitches Ample 38

Allotments Ample 7

Golf Courses Ample 4

Tennis Courts Ample 9

Bowling Greens Ample 5

Playgrounds Ample 37

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 25 in area

2Outstanding17Good1Requires Improvement5Ungraded

Galmpton Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Torquay Girls' Grammar SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Churston Ferrers Grammar School AcademySecondary · inspected 2022
Good
Collaton St Mary Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Curledge Street AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Kings Ash AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Lift Barton HillPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Oldway Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Preston Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Healthcare

A&E departmentsTorbay Hospitalin area

Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford)16.1 mi

Derriford Hospital22.6 mi

Hospital waitsTorbay And South Devon NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi

Routine referral (median)10 wks

Treated within 18 weeks66.4%

A&E seen within 4 hrs66.2%

5 GP surgeries in area 6 within 4km best 'Good'

GP capacity1,779 patients per GP

10dentists10pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband

Full fibre (FTTP)84.2%

available across Torbay

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

92.9%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

93.5%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

98.7%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,555 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate51.3%

Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed51.3%Unemployed2.7%Retired31%Student3.3%Other inactive11.8%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial31.7%Skilled & technical36.5%Routine & elementary31.8%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications19.6%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.6%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.4%Level 3 (A levels)17.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)25.3%Apprenticeship7.6%Other (incl. vocational)2.9%

Home ownership68.8%

Around the England average for deprivation

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Torbay · 2026-27

A £1,647

B £1,921

C £2,196

D £2,470

E £3,019

F £3,568

G £4,117

H £4,940

Energy South West England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band D

Water South West Water

Average bill regional £600/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Paignton 0.5 mi

Torquay 1.9 mi

Torre 2.5 mi

J31 M5 16.5 mi

J31 M5 17 mi

J30 M5 19 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 34

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 61

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 39

Retail Shopping Ample 304

Takeaways Ample 49

Fitness Ample 32

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House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£259,000	504
Detached	£375,000	138
Semi-detached	£275,000	141
Terraced	£220,000	126
Flat / Maisonette	£145,000	99

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Frequently asked questions

Is Paignton a nice place to live?

Paignton is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Paignton is 61/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Paignton?

Paignton has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 48/100. There were 5,694 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Paignton?

Among the top-rated schools in Paignton are Galmpton Church of England Primary School and Torquay Girls' Grammar School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 25 rated schools in Paignton in total.

What are house prices like in Paignton?

The current median house price in Paignton is £259,000, around 9% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £375,000, semi-detached £275,000, terraced £220,000, flat £145,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 7%. There were 504 sales recorded in the past 12 months.