Torbay: population and statistics
Torbay has a population of 139,486 (2025) across 62.9 km², or 2,219 people per km². It ranks 205 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +3.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 139,486 residents
- 62.9 km²
- 2,219 people/km²
Torbay in numbers
Population of Torbay over time
Torbay had 135,052 residents in 2015 and 139,486 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 138,695 |
| 2021 | 139,440 |
| 2022 | 139,406 |
| 2023 | 139,734 |
| 2024 | 139,862 |
| 2025 | 139,486 |
All indicators for Torbay
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 | Torbay | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 27.9% | 23.2% | 20.4% | ranked 29 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 15.1% | 16.2% | 17.4% | ranked 318 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Torbay | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 69,000 dwellings | 2,721,250 | 27,429,300 | ranked 152 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 42.9% | 31.7% | 31.6% | ranked 63 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 11.5% | 20.6% | 18.1% | ranked 291 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 62,992 households | 143,797 | 61,440 | ranked 150 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 69.8% | 80.6% | 84.7% | ranked 269 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 29.8% | 18.6% | 14.8% | ranked 50 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 65.1% | 66.9% | 67.3% | ranked 194 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 26.6% | 19.7% | 17.6% | ranked 43 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 8.3% | 13.3% | 14.3% | ranked 308 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £222,118 | £307,411 | £272,474 | ranked 247 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −1.6% | 1.1% | 2.2% | ranked 312 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Torbay | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 2.3% | 1.7% | 1.2% | ranked 24 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 76.1% | 67.1% | 76.7% | ranked 166 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 11.9% | 10.3% | 7.8% | ranked 38 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.2% | 7.0% | 0.9% | ranked 212 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Torbay | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 4,960 sites | 278,765 | 3,232,440 | ranked 260 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 35.6 per 1,000 | 47.2 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 287 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 4,095 businesses | 237,935 | 2,786,975 | ranked 271 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £33,493 | £37,598 | £38,490 | ranked 324 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Torbay | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 76.7% | 79.1% | 76.3% | ranked 166 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 3.4% | 2.7% | 3.2% | ranked 142 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Torbay | South West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 23.2% | 16.8% | 18.5% | ranked 95 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 27 local authorities in South West, Torbay ranks 13 by population.
Households in social housing: 8.3% in Torbay, compared with an average of 13.3% in South West and 17.1% across the UK.
Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross): £33,493 in Torbay, compared with an average of £37,598 in South West and £39,498 across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 18.3% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Households in social housing”: lower than in 97% of local authorities.
- “Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross)”: lower than in 93% of local authorities.
- “Share of residents aged 65 and over”: higher than in 92% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 8,805 football pitches.
- 7.8 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is South Hams, 9.8 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Plymouth (271,361 residents), 42 km away.
Business sectors: Torbay
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 trade18.3% ×1.1
- Construction15.7% ×1.3
- Accommodation and food services12.0% ×1.7
- Professional, scientific and technical9.9% ×0.7
- Health and social work7.5% ×1.3
- Administrative and support services7.2% ×0.9
- Real estate4.3% ×1.0
- Other service activities4.3% ×1.0
Where is Torbay?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Torbay?
Torbay has 139,486 residents (2025), ranking 205 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Torbay?
Torbay covers 62.9 km², with a density of 2,219 people per km².
Is the population of Torbay growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Torbay went from 135,052 to 139,486, a change of +3.3%.
Where is Torbay?
Torbay is in South West (region). Latitude 50.452, longitude −3.557.
Households in social housing: what is the figure for Torbay?
In Torbay, “Households in social housing” stands at 8.3% (2021), ranking 308 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 14.3%.
Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross): what is the figure for Torbay?
In Torbay, “Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross)” stands at £33,493 (2025), ranking 324 of 348 local authorities; the UK median is £38,490.
Which local authorities border Torbay?
The nearest to Torbay are South Hams (9.8 km), Teignbridge (15 km), Exeter (30 km), East Devon (34 km), Plymouth (42 km).