Somerset: population and statistics
Somerset has a population of 590,972 (2025) across 3,451.8 km², or 171 people per km². It ranks 5 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +7.7% between 2015 and 2025.
- 590,972 residents
- 3,451.8 km²
- 171 people/km²
Somerset in numbers
Population of Somerset over time
Somerset had 548,792 residents in 2015 and 590,972 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 566,310 |
| 2021 | 573,100 |
| 2022 | 577,172 |
| 2023 | 583,076 |
| 2024 | 588,173 |
| 2025 | 590,972 |
All indicators for Somerset
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Somerset | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 25.9% | 23.2% | 20.4% | ranked 58 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 16.4% | 16.2% | 17.4% | ranked 249 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Somerset | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 273,360 dwellings | 2,721,250 | 27,429,300 | ranked 5 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 28.8% | 31.7% | 31.6% | ranked 187 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 22.2% | 20.6% | 18.1% | ranked 82 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 250,124 households | 143,797 | 61,440 | ranked 5 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 86.5% | 80.6% | 84.7% | ranked 139 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 12.7% | 18.6% | 14.8% | ranked 183 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 68.5% | 66.9% | 67.3% | ranked 129 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 17.7% | 19.7% | 17.6% | ranked 153 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 13.7% | 13.3% | 14.3% | ranked 182 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £282,062 | £307,411 | £272,474 | ranked 171 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 3.1% | 1.1% | 2.2% | ranked 128 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Somerset | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.2% | ranked 73 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 61.0% | 67.1% | 76.7% | ranked 284 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 10.0% | 10.3% | 7.8% | ranked 82 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 11.8% | 7.0% | 0.9% | ranked 38 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Somerset | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 28,585 sites | 278,765 | 3,232,440 | ranked 9 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 48.4 per 1,000 | 47.2 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 133 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 24,665 businesses | 237,935 | 2,786,975 | ranked 10 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £36,279 | £37,598 | £38,490 | ranked 246 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Somerset | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 78.3% | 79.1% | 76.3% | ranked 128 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 2.6% | 2.7% | 3.2% | ranked 238 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Somerset | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 14.0% | 16.8% | 18.5% | ranked 237 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 27 local authorities in South West, Somerset ranks 1 by population.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 15.4% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in South West for “Population”.
- “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)”: higher than in 99% of local authorities.
- “Business sites (local units)”: higher than in 98% of local authorities.
- “Households heated by mains gas only”: lower than in 90% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 483,447 football pitches.
- The nearest local authority is North Somerset, 32.3 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Birmingham (1,176,960 residents), 168 km away.
Business sectors: Somerset
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade15.4% ×1.0
- Construction13.4% ×1.1
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing12.7% ×2.8
- Professional, scientific and technical11.4% ×0.8
- Accommodation and food services6.9% ×1.0
- Administrative and support services6.7% ×0.8
- Manufacturing5.2% ×1.2
- Health and social work5.0% ×0.9
Where is Somerset?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Somerset?
Somerset has 590,972 residents (2025), ranking 5 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Somerset?
Somerset covers 3,451.8 km², with a density of 171 people per km².
Is the population of Somerset growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Somerset went from 548,792 to 590,972, a change of +7.7%.
Where is Somerset?
Somerset is in South West (region). Latitude 51.100, longitude −2.900.
Dwellings (Council Tax stock): what is the figure for Somerset?
In Somerset, “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)” stands at 273,360 dwellings (2026), ranking 5 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 67,955 dwellings.
Business sites (local units): what is the figure for Somerset?
In Somerset, “Business sites (local units)” stands at 28,585 sites (2026), ranking 9 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 6,830 sites.
Which local authorities border Somerset?
The nearest to Somerset are North Somerset (32 km), Bristol, City of (45 km), Mid Devon (47 km), Cardiff (48 km), Vale of Glamorgan (50 km).