Devon is relatively affluent – but rural deprivation is often hidden
Central llfracombe (75 years)
Devon Life Expectancy Gap
15 years
Exton (90 years)
41,145 people (4.9%) of people in Devon live in neighbourhoods in the most deprived 20% nationally, with 104,474 people (12.4%) in the most deprived 30% nationally.
Rural disadvantage is particularly visible in Barriers to Housing & Services and the Indoor Living Environment domains.
Agenda Item
Long distances, infrequent public transport, poor connectivity and older housing can create deprivation that is not captured by income alone.
Small, dispersed pockets can sit inside otherwise affluent places – making place averages an unreliable guide to lived experience.
Source: Devon Public Health: IMD 2025; Deprivation JSNA; Dimensions of Inequality (2026). Ilfracombe Photo by Sean P on Unsplash, Exton Station by Chris Allen 2011 (Geograph Project) Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic li