St Thomas West
Exeter 012 · 5 sub-areas · 7,281 residents
Exeter 012 is a settled, largely owner-occupied part of Exeter, home to around 7,300 people and noticeably older in profile than the city as a whole. A typical two-bedroom flat lets for about £1,125 a month — slightly below the UK median for a 2-bed — and nearly three quarters of homes here are owned outright or on a mortgage, making this one of the more stable corners of the city.
St Thomas West is a mid-density neighbourhood of Exeter in the South West region. It sits between busier and quieter parts of the local authority and isn't dominated by a single use — there's a mix of workplaces, housing and local services. The population skews older, with a long-settled feel and a high share of retirees; most homes are owner-occupied, so turnover is low and many residents have been here a long time.
Overview
What's it like to live in St Thomas West?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; Public transport is genuinely strong; most errands and a fair share of social life don't need a car; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £1,312 a month for a typical home; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 5 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
St Thomas West in Exeter
Living in St Thomas West
This part of Exeter feels more like a mature suburban neighbourhood than the student-heavy streets closer to the university. The streets are quieter, the demographic skews older, and the turnover of residents is lower than in many other parts of the city. Over a quarter of residents are aged 65 or older — well above what you'd expect in a typical English neighbourhood — and that shapes the pace and character of the place considerably.
On cost, you're paying less than you would for comparable space in many southern English cities. A two-bedroom home comes in at roughly £1,125 a month, which sits just below the UK average for that size. The council tax bill runs to around £2,495 a year at Band D, which is broadly typical for Exeter. If you're looking to buy, the median sale price sits at around £309,000 — and with median resident earnings around £29,500 a year, you'd need roughly five years to save a deposit, which is middling rather than punishing by southern England standards.
Ownership dominates here: around three quarters of homes are owner-occupied, with private renting accounting for only about one in ten. That makes this an unusual patch for renters — supply is limited and the neighbourhood doesn't particularly cater to short-stay or transient tenants. Social housing accounts for just under 13% of stock.
For getting around, the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1.2 km away — about a 15-minute walk. There's no metro or tram service within any realistic distance. Most residents drive: over half commute by car, with fewer than one in twenty using public transport. That said, full gigabit broadband is available across the entire neighbourhood, and working from home is common — nearly a quarter of residents do so. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets of the neighbourhood.
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Frequently asked
- Is Exeter 012 a nice place to live?
- It's a settled, quiet part of Exeter that suits people looking for stability over buzz. The crime rate is well below the national average, most neighbours own their homes, and the area has a genuinely residential feel. The trade-off is that it skews older and has limited rental stock, so it's not the right fit if you want a lively, transient neighbourhood.
- What is the rent in Exeter 012?
- A one-bedroom home typically runs around £910 a month, a two-bedroom around £1,125, and a three-bedroom around £1,353. These are estimates scaled from city-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose roughly 2.2% over the past year — a modest increase by recent standards.
- Is Exeter 012 safe?
- Yes, by most measures. The recorded crime rate is around 44 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — roughly half the UK national average of about 80. It's one of the calmer parts of Exeter, consistent with its settled, owner-occupied character.
- What's the commute from Exeter 012 to Exeter city centre?
- The nearest mainline station is about 1.2 km away — a 15-minute walk. Most residents drive rather than use public transport; only around 4% commute by public transport. Working from home is also common, with nearly one in four residents doing so.
- Who lives in Exeter 012?
- Primarily older, settled homeowners. Nearly a quarter of residents are 65 or over, and a further 21% are in the 50–64 bracket. Three quarters own their home. It's a noticeably different demographic from the student and young-professional parts of Exeter closer to the university.
- What schools are near Exeter 012?
- There are 55 schools within 2 km of typical residents, so choice isn't lacking. However, around 40% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding school is just under 10 km away, so it's worth checking specific catchment areas carefully.
- How does Exeter 012 compare to other parts of Exeter for affordability?
- It's on the more affordable end for a southern English neighbourhood. A two-bedroom home runs about £1,125 a month, slightly below the UK median. The median sale price is around £309,000, and you'd need roughly five years to save a deposit on a median local salary — middling rather than extreme by the standards of the South West.