Region
South West: local authorities in numbers
South West has 27 local authorities and 5,906,997 residents across 23,850 km², or 248 people per km². Population: +8.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 5,906,997 residents
- 27 local authorities
- 23,850 km²
- 248 people/km²
Map and records: South West
All local authorities in South West
Click a column heading to sort the table.
| Local authority | Population | Population change over 10 years | Population density | Area | Share of residents aged 65 and over | Share of residents aged under 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset | 590,972 | +7.7% | 171.2 people/km² | 3,452 | 25.9% | 16.4% |
| Cornwall | 584,782 | +6.8% | 164.8 people/km² | 3,549 | 26.5% | 15.6% |
| Wiltshire | 526,392 | +7.8% | 161.7 people/km² | 3,255 | 23.5% | 17.1% |
| Bristol, City of | 495,260 | +9.6% | 4,516 people/km² | 109.7 | 12.7% | 15.9% |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 405,829 | +3.4% | 2,504 people/km² | 162.1 | 22.3% | 15.8% |
| Dorset | 391,036 | +5.5% | 157.0 people/km² | 2,491 | 31.2% | 14.5% |
| South Gloucestershire | 308,787 | +13.4% | 621.3 people/km² | 497.0 | 18.9% | 17.8% |
| Plymouth | 271,361 | +3.1% | 3,398 people/km² | 79.8 | 19.2% | 16.5% |
| Swindon | 245,286 | +10.6% | 1,066 people/km² | 230.1 | 16.7% | 19.3% |
| North Somerset | 227,160 | +7.9% | 606.3 people/km² | 374.7 | 24.3% | 17.1% |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 200,898 | +10.0% | 572.1 people/km² | 351.1 | 19.9% | 15.5% |
| East Devon | 159,637 | +15.2% | 196.1 people/km² | 814.2 | 30.6% | 15.3% |
| Torbay | 139,486 | +3.3% | 2,219 people/km² | 62.9 | 27.9% | 15.1% |
| Teignbridge | 138,607 | +7.8% | 205.7 people/km² | 673.7 | 28.3% | 15.2% |
| Gloucester | 138,565 | +8.2% | 3,417 people/km² | 40.5 | 17.3% | 18.7% |
| Exeter | 137,894 | +13.4% | 2,931 people/km² | 47.0 | 16.7% | 13.9% |
| Stroud | 126,418 | +8.3% | 274.5 people/km² | 460.6 | 24.3% | 16.8% |
| Cheltenham | 121,452 | +3.2% | 2,606 people/km² | 46.6 | 20.4% | 16.8% |
| Tewkesbury | 103,753 | +21.3% | 250.4 people/km² | 414.4 | 22.1% | 18.7% |
| North Devon | 101,281 | +7.9% | 93.3 people/km² | 1,086 | 27.0% | 16.0% |
| South Hams | 93,171 | +10.1% | 105.1 people/km² | 886.6 | 29.3% | 15.4% |
| Cotswold | 91,563 | +7.4% | 78.6 people/km² | 1,164 | 28.3% | 15.4% |
| Forest of Dean | 90,157 | +6.9% | 171.4 people/km² | 525.9 | 26.0% | 15.7% |
| Mid Devon | 85,593 | +8.1% | 93.8 people/km² | 912.9 | 25.3% | 16.8% |
| Torridge | 70,378 | +6.9% | 71.4 people/km² | 985.2 | 30.4% | 14.9% |
| West Devon | 58,980 | +8.0% | 50.8 people/km² | 1,161 | 30.5% | 14.2% |
| Isles of Scilly | 2,299 | +2.7% | 140.9 people/km² | 16.3 | 26.8% | 13.7% |
South West compared with the UK
Population-weighted averages for rates; totals for counts.
| Indicator | South West | the United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over | 23.2% | 19.4% |
| Share of residents aged under 16 | 16.2% | 17.7% |
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) | 2,721,250 dwellings | 27,429,300 dwellings |
| Dwellings built before 1940 | 31.7% | 34.9% |
| Dwellings built since 2000 | 20.6% | 18.6% |
| Households (Census 2021) | 143,797 households | 111,842 households |
| Households living in a house or bungalow | 80.6% | 77.6% |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette | 18.6% | 22.0% |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) | 66.9% | 62.3% |
| Households renting privately | 19.7% | 20.4% |
| Households in social housing | 13.3% | 17.1% |
| Average house price | £307,411 | £308,859 |
| House price change over 12 months | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Households without central heating | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| Households heated by mains gas only | 67.1% | 73.9% |
| Households heated by electricity only | 10.3% | 8.6% |
| Households heated by oil only | 7.0% | 3.4% |
| Business sites (local units) | 278,765 sites | 3,232,440 sites |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents | 47.2 per 1,000 | 46.5 per 1,000 |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) | 237,935 businesses | 2,786,975 businesses |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) | £37,598 | £39,498 |
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 | 79.1% | 75.6% |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 | 2.7% | 3.8% |
| Households without a car or van | 16.8% | 23.5% |
Frequently asked questions
How many local authorities are there in South West?
South West has 27 local authorities. The most populous is Somerset, with 590,972 residents.
What is the population of South West?
South West has 5,906,997 residents (2025), or 248 people per km².
Which local authority in South West is growing fastest?
Tewkesbury has the fastest growth in South West over 10 years: +21.3%.