Martock
South Somerset 009 · 4 sub-areas · 5,794 residents
South Somerset 009 is a rural pocket of Somerset, home to around 5,800 people and noticeably affordable by South West standards. A typical two-bedroom home lets for around £880 a month — well below the UK median for a 2-bed — and over seven in ten residents own their home. The area skews older than most, with nearly three in ten residents aged 65 or over.
Martock is a green, lower-density part of Somerset — parks within walking distance of most addresses, a slower weekday rhythm, and a population skewed toward longer-tenure households rather than transient renters. 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 Martock?
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; 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; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
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.
Martock in Somerset
Living in Martock
South Somerset 009 has the feel of deep rural Somerset — scattered settlements, a lot of car dependency, and a population that's largely settled and owner-occupied. It's not a commuter suburb of any major city; the nearest mainline rail station is roughly 10.9 km away in straight-line terms (around a 2-hour walk, so most people drive), and the nearest large employment hub is over three hours away by public transport. That distance from urban centres is the defining feature: this is somewhere people choose to live, not pass through.
Rents here are genuinely low by South West standards. A two-bedroom home runs around £880 a month, and a one-bedroom around £670 — cheaper than most of Somerset's market towns and well below the national median. That said, rent still takes up around half of a typical take-home pay, which reflects modest local wages rather than high costs. The median resident salary is around £30,000 a year, and workplace salaries in the area are only slightly lower at around £29,200, suggesting many residents work locally rather than commuting out.
Who lives here? Mostly older, settled homeowners. Nearly 29% of residents are 65 or over, and almost three-quarters own their homes outright or with a mortgage. The private rental market is small — only around 13% of households rent privately — and the social housing share is similar. Young professionals in their 20s and 30s make up a much smaller slice than you'd find in any Somerset town. Families with children are present but not the dominant household type; couples without children and single-person households account for a significant share.
Day-to-day, you'll need a car. Over 63% of residents drive to work, and just 0.7% use public transport — one of the lowest public transport usage rates you'll find anywhere. On the plus side, broadband is surprisingly strong: 100% of premises have gigabit-capable connections and none fall below the universal service obligation. See the streets and sub-areas below for more detail on specific pockets of the area.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is South Somerset 009 a nice place to live?
- It depends on what you're after. If you want quiet, affordable rural living with low crime and strong broadband, it delivers. If you need easy access to a city, regular public transport, or a young social scene, you'll find it frustratingly remote. Nearly three-quarters of residents own their homes, which says a lot about who chooses to stay long-term.
- What is the rent in South Somerset 009?
- A one-bedroom home runs around £670 a month, a two-bedroom around £880, and a three-bedroom around £1,090. These are estimates scaled from Somerset-wide data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 3% over the past year. Council tax (Band D) adds around £2,560 a year.
- Is South Somerset 009 safe?
- Yes, by most measures. The crime rate is around 52 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — well below the UK national average of around 80. Rural areas in Somerset tend to have low rates of street-level and violent crime, though property crime affecting isolated homes and vehicles is worth bearing in mind.
- What's the commute from South Somerset 009 to the nearest city centre?
- It's not easy by public transport. Only 0.7% of residents commute by train or bus — most people drive. The nearest mainline rail station is around 10.9 km away. Public transport journeys to London take around 284 minutes and to Birmingham around 296 minutes. Just over a quarter of residents work from home, which helps explain how people make it work.
- Who lives in South Somerset 009?
- Mostly older, settled homeowners. Nearly 29% of residents are 65 or over and 73% own their homes. Young professionals are a small minority here. Single-person households make up about 31% of homes. The area is ethnically homogeneous, with over 93% of residents UK-born.
- What schools are near South Somerset 009?
- There are 8 schools within typical catchment distance. Around 66% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 7.7 km away. Families should check catchment boundaries with Somerset County Council, as rural school options can be limited.
- How affordable is buying a home in South Somerset 009?
- The median house price is around £337,000. On a typical local salary of around £30,000, you'd need roughly 5.6 years to save a deposit — below the South West average, making this area more accessible than many parts of the region. The private rental market is small, which can limit options for those not ready to buy.