Dowslands & Blackdown
Somerset West and Taunton 019 · 4 sub-areas · 8,578 residents
Somerset West and Taunton 019 is a predominantly owner-occupied neighbourhood within Somerset, home to around 8,600 people and noticeably older in its age profile than much of the South West. A typical two-bedroom home lets for around £880 a month — well below the UK average for a 2-bed — though ownership dominates here, with nearly four in five households owning their home.
Dowslands & Blackdown is a mid-density neighbourhood of Somerset 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 Dowslands & Blackdown?
Greenspace is reachable but isn't on the immediate doorstep — most residents walk a few blocks to reach a park; there's effectively nothing within walking distance — eating out, drinking and shopping mean a drive; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; Transport links are limited — a car or e-bike is a practical assumption for most regular trips; rents are roughly in line with the national norm, at around £980 a month for a typical home.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Dowslands & Blackdown in Somerset
Living in Dowslands & Blackdown
This part of Somerset West and Taunton sits firmly in owner-occupied, semi-rural England. The age profile tells you a lot: over a quarter of residents are 65 or older, and nearly one in four is between 50 and 64. This isn't a neighbourhood built around young renters or commuters — it's a settled, predominantly family and retirement community where most people have put down long-term roots.
Rents are genuinely affordable by any national measure. A two-bedroom home runs around £880 a month — roughly a quarter below the UK median for a 2-bed. Even a three-bedroom sits at about £1,094, which in many English cities would barely cover a one-bed. The trade-off is that the private rental market is thin: only around one in seven households rents privately, so choice of available properties is limited at any given moment.
The demographic picture here is low-churn and settled. The ethnic diversity index sits at 7.5 — one of the lower readings in the South West — and over 92% of residents were born in the UK. Nearly 39% hold a degree-level qualification, which is reasonably strong for a non-metropolitan area, and the claimant unemployment rate is a low 2.7%. Median resident salary comes in at around £29,900 a year — close to what workplaces in the area pay, suggesting most residents work locally rather than commuting long distances.
Car ownership is near-universal here, with 54% of residents driving to work and just 0.7% using public transport. Working from home is common — 34.5% of residents do so, well above the national average, which partly explains the neighbourhood's appeal to professional households who don't need a daily commute. Greenspace is within reach, with a typical resident about 700 metres from open green space. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets.
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Frequently asked
- Is Somerset West and Taunton 019 a nice place to live?
- It's a quiet, settled neighbourhood with low crime, affordable rents by national standards, and good green space access. The trade-off is limited public transport and a thin private rental market — it suits owner-occupiers and remote workers better than young renters who need easy commuting options.
- What is the rent in Somerset West and Taunton 019?
- A one-bedroom runs around £667 a month, a two-bedroom around £881, and a three-bedroom around £1,094. These are estimates scaled from district-level data using local sale prices. Availability can be limited since fewer than one in seven households here rents privately.
- Is Somerset West and Taunton 019 safe?
- Yes, relatively. The crime rate is around 60 per 1,000 residents a year, noticeably below the UK national rate of roughly 80. The area also sits in the less deprived 30% of English neighbourhoods by IMD score, which tends to track with lower crime levels.
- What's the commute from Somerset West and Taunton 019 to the nearest city centre?
- Realistically, most residents drive — 54% commute by car and only 0.7% use public transport. The nearest mainline rail station is around 5.7 km away. The nearest major UK employment hub is roughly 101 minutes by public transport, so this area works best for drivers or remote workers.
- Who lives in Somerset West and Taunton 019?
- Predominantly older, settled owner-occupiers — over half of residents are aged 50-plus, and nearly four in five own their home. It's a low-churn community with a small private rental sector. Around 35% of residents work from home, pointing to a professional, established household profile.
- What schools are near Somerset West and Taunton 019?
- There are 16 schools within typical catchment distance, but only around 24% are rated Good or Outstanding. The nearest Outstanding school is approximately 5.5 km away. If schools are a priority, it's worth checking specific catchment boundaries carefully before committing.
- How affordable is buying a home in Somerset West and Taunton 019?
- Median house prices sit at around £402,000. On a typical local salary of around £29,900 a year, saving a deposit takes roughly 6.7 years — challenging, but broadly in line with many Somerset market towns rather than the extreme end seen in London or the South East.