Area guide · Plymouth

Is Plymouth a Good Place to Live? Full Area Report

South West / Devon·Last updated:

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Avg Property Price

£225,000

Avg Rent

£800/month

Crime Rating

Average

Schools (Good+)

71% Good or Outstanding

Broadband Avg

68 Mbps

Transport

Average

Flood Risk

Medium

Population

265K

Is Plymouth a good place to live?

Plymouth is a waterfront city in Devon with a proud naval heritage, spectacular harbour views, and easy access to both Dartmoor National Park and the south-west coastline. HouseCheckup property data shows Plymouth offers some of the most affordable coastal living in southern England, making it attractive to families and first-time buyers. The city's regeneration of the waterfront and Royal William Yard has created vibrant new living and dining spaces.

What is the average property price in Plymouth?

The average property price in Plymouth is £225,000, with average rent of £800/month. Population is 265K. These figures aggregate HM Land Registry transactions and live rental listings across Plymouth, and are updated alongside the rest of this guide on .

What's the flood risk in Plymouth?

HouseCheckup classifies the flood-risk picture in Plymouth as Medium, drawing on Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning data and surface-water flooding layers. A full HouseCheckup property report adds the postcode-specific zone, historical flood incidents, and 2050/2080 climate projections.

Is Plymouth a safe place to live?

Police.UK street-level data places Plymouth's overall crime rate at Average. Like every UK town and city, Plymouth has safer and less safe streets. See the HouseCheckup property report for the postcode-specific picture.

What are the schools like in Plymouth?

Around 71% Good or Outstanding in Plymouth. The HouseCheckup property report shows the catchment-area schools for any address with their full Ofsted history.

What is the transport like in Plymouth?

Plymouth has a transport rating of Average, drawn from NaPTAN public transport access nodes and rail data. Average broadband speed is 68 Mbps per Ofcom Connected Nations.

Pros of Living in Plymouth

  • Affordable coastal living with stunning harbour and sea views
  • Gateway to Dartmoor National Park and the South West Coast Path
  • Strong naval and marine sector employment
  • Vibrant waterfront regeneration at Royal William Yard and the Barbican
  • University of Plymouth contributing to a youthful population

Cons of Living in Plymouth

  • Relatively isolated with long journey times to London and the south-east
  • Employment opportunities more limited outside marine, defence, and public sectors
  • Some areas of deprivation, particularly in Devonport and Stonehouse
  • Rail journey times to Exeter and beyond are slow on the coastal line

Check Any Property in Plymouth

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Last updated:

What's in the report

A full PDF report bringing together available property risks, price history and neighbourhood context. A Complete report runs to 33 numbered sections in seven parts; Lite is the safety & environment part with the closing checklist and sources.

Reports from £9.99
  • The verdict
  • Safety & environment
  • Value & market
  • The home & energy
  • Area & lifestyle
  • Written for the address
  • Price History

    Every recorded sale on the street, with area price context.+5 checks

    HM Land Registry street and postcode transactions, plus local UK House Price Index context where available: every recorded sale on the street, newest first, with tenure, property type and new-build flags, typical price by property type, and how the local authority, region and nation compare

    • Every recorded sale on the street and postcode
    • Tenure, property type and new-build flags
    • Typical price by property type
    • Local authority, region and nation compared
    • Local UK House Price Index context

    Prints in: Value & market

  • Energy & Carbon

    The whole energy certificate, running costs and improvements.+7 checks

    Matched EPC band, potential improvements, estimated energy costs and carbon emissions where a certificate is available. You get the whole certificate: every element the assessor rated with its star ratings, running costs now and after the costed improvements, rooms, glazing, validity, plus modelled solar potential

    • Matched EPC band
    • Every rated element with its star ratings
    • Running costs now and after improvements
    • Costed potential improvements
    • Carbon emissions
    • Rooms, glazing and validity
    • Modelled solar potential

    Prints in: The home & energy

  • Flood & Climate Risk

    Flood maps, recorded flooding, defences and future scenarios.+8 checks

    Flood maps and recorded extents, with available future surface-water flood scenarios and coastal erosion data; coverage varies by nation. Included: every flood-warning area within 2 km and 5 km named, recorded flood events, river-flow climate allowances, Flood Re eligibility, and every flood defence within about 1.5 km with its condition

    • Flood maps and recorded extents
    • Future surface-water flood scenarios
    • Coastal erosion data
    • Flood-warning areas within 2 km and 5 km
    • Recorded flood events
    • River-flow climate allowances
    • Flood Re eligibility
    • Flood defences within about 1.5 km

    Prints in: Safety & environment

  • Ground & Environmental

    Ground hazards, radon, coal mining, noise and air quality.+7 checks

    BGS area hazard bands, radon potential, coal-mining screening, landslides, noise and modelled air quality: clay shrink-swell to the 2070s, the seven ground-hazard ratings with the distance to the nearest higher-rated cell, every recorded landslide nearby, the radon band for the 1 km square, and nitrogen dioxide, PM2.5 and PM10 against the legal objectives

    • Clay shrink-swell to the 2070s
    • Seven ground-hazard ratings
    • Recorded landslides nearby
    • Radon band for the 1 km square
    • Coal-mining screening
    • Noise
    • Nitrogen dioxide, PM2.5 and PM10

    Prints in: Safety & environment

  • Crime & Safety

    Police-recorded crime by category, with the trend.+6 checks

    Published police.uk crime categories and monthly history in England and Wales, with missing months explained: the last six months and the 24-month total within a mile, every category's share and per-month rate, and the change between the last six months and the six before

    • Last six months within a mile
    • The 24-month total
    • Every category's share
    • Per-month rate by category
    • Change against the six months before
    • Missing months explained

    Prints in: Area & lifestyle

  • Schools & Healthcare

    Schools nearby, plus GPs, pharmacies and health context.+5 checks

    Schools with available inspection information, OpenStreetMap amenities such as GPs and pharmacies, and census health context: every school within 4 km with phase, grade and distance, and the nearest GP, pharmacy and health services by name

    • Every school within 4 km
    • Phase, grade and distance
    • Nearest GP by name
    • Nearest pharmacy and health services
    • Census health context

    Prints in: Area & lifestyle

  • Local Transport

    Stations and stops nearby, with distances.+3 checks

    Nearby rail stations and public transport stops with distances, where the source has records: stations with mode and lines, every stop within 800 m by type, and the nearest bus stop

    • Stations with mode and lines
    • Every stop within 800 m by type
    • The nearest bus stop

    Prints in: Area & lifestyle

  • Demographics

    Who lives here, and how the area ranks on deprivation.+6 checks

    Neighbourhood deprivation and available census data, with different sources for each nation: the decile and rank of the small area with domains where published, residents and households, every census category with count and share including household tenure, and the statistical type of area with its pen portraits

    • Deprivation decile and rank
    • Domains where published
    • Residents and households
    • Every census category with count and share
    • Household tenure
    • Type of area with its pen portraits

    Prints in: Area & lifestyle

  • Planning & Heritage

    Designations, listed buildings and what shapes change nearby.+10 checks

    Published planning designations, conservation areas, listed buildings and major projects; local publication varies. Included: every listed building and conservation area within 700 m with grade and distance, green belt, National Landscape, national park, scheduled monuments, tree preservation orders, Article 4 directions, the local plan's status and every brownfield-register entry nearby

    • Listed buildings within 700 m
    • Conservation areas within 700 m
    • Green belt
    • National Landscape and national park
    • Scheduled monuments
    • Tree preservation orders
    • Article 4 directions
    • The local plan's status
    • Brownfield-register entries nearby
    • Major projects

    Prints in: The home & energy

  • Lifestyle & Amenities

    Walkability, everyday amenities and food hygiene ratings.+4 checks

    Nearby mapped amenities, walkability context and food hygiene ratings where records are available: a walkability score out of 100, every everyday category counted with its nearest distance, and every rated food business within about a mile with type, rating and inspection date

    • Walkability score out of 100
    • Every everyday category counted
    • Nearest distance for each category
    • Rated food businesses within about a mile

    Prints in: Area & lifestyle

  • Rental & Market Context

    Indicative rental yield and local price trends.+4 checks

    Indicative gross rental yield from area rents and price data, plus local house-price trends where available: the yield, the typical monthly rent and the value it was measured against, labelled as an area estimate

    • Indicative gross rental yield
    • Typical monthly rent
    • The value it was measured against
    • Local house-price trends

    Prints in: Value & market

  • Contaminated Land & Permits

    Former landfill, permits, discharges and incidents nearby.+6 checks

    Every former landfill within 1 km measured to its boundary with its years in use, every permitted landfill within 2 km, substantiated pollution incidents, and all permits and discharges within 1 km de-duplicated by site, with the statutory register named as not read and how to get it

    • Former landfill within 1 km, to its boundary
    • Years each landfill was in use
    • Permitted landfill within 2 km
    • Substantiated pollution incidents
    • Permits and discharges within 1 km
    • The statutory register and how to get it

    Prints in: Safety & environment

  • Council Tax & Tenure

    What every band costs, the neighbours' bands and tenure.+7 checks

    The Band D charge for the local authority this year, what every band costs per year and per month, the band mix of the neighbours, the tenure at the last recorded sale and across the street, published tribunal decisions at the postcode, and the lease-pack checklist

    • Band D charge this year
    • Every band per year and per month
    • The neighbours' band mix
    • Tenure at the last recorded sale
    • Tenure across the street
    • Tribunal decisions at the postcode
    • The lease-pack checklist

    Prints in: Value & market

  • Findings for This Address

    Written for this address from registers that software cannot read.+4 checks

    A section written for this address from the registers that publish to people but not to software (each finding names the register consulted, where and when), plus dated corporate ownership and building records with their match basis

    • Findings from registers with no software feed
    • The register, place and date for each finding
    • Dated corporate ownership records
    • Building records with their match basis

    Prints in: Written for the address

  • Verdict, Surveyor Questions & Checklist

    The IQ Score, every flag explained, and your next steps.+5 checks

    The IQ Score with every factor's sub-score and the finding behind it, every red and amber flag explained, a numbered brief of questions for your surveyor built from what the address flagged, your before-you-offer checklist, and an appendix of every register asked and whether it answered

    • IQ Score with every factor's sub-score
    • Every red and amber flag explained
    • A numbered brief for your surveyor
    • Your before-you-offer checklist
    • Every register asked, and whether it answered

    Prints in: The verdict

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Frequently Asked Questions About Plymouth

What is the average property price in Plymouth 2026?
According to the ONS UK House Price Index, the average house price in Plymouth was £218,000 in January 2026, up 4.5% on January 2025, among the strongest annual price growth recorded by the ONS for any English core city. The typical first-time-buyer price was £195,000, well inside HMRC's £300,000 stamp-duty relief threshold. Plymouth remains one of the most affordable English coastal cities. For an address-level price check on any Plymouth postcode, run a £24.99 HouseCheckup report.
Is Plymouth a good place to live?
Plymouth is the largest city on the south-west peninsula and offers a rare combination of coastal living, Dartmoor National Park access, and strong defence employment via HMNB Devonport (the largest naval base in Western Europe). The University of Plymouth is widely cited for marine and engineering research. ONS records show housing affordability among the strongest of any English coastal city. For wider comparisons, see /research/best-places-for-families-uk.
Is Plymouth safe?
Police.UK and Devon and Cornwall Police data place Plymouth at roughly the average crime rate for an English city of its size. Residential suburbs PL9 Plymstock, PL7 Plympton, and PL6 Derriford record consistently lower crime rates and remain popular with families. Most reported city-centre crime concentrates in the Union Street and Bretonside night-time-economy zone. For a national comparison, see /blog/safest-places-to-live-uk-2026.
What are the best schools in Plymouth?
Ofsted's inspection database shows Plymouth with Good and Outstanding clusters spread across the city, particularly in PL3 Mannamead and PL9 Plymstock. Devonport High School for Boys, Devonport High School for Girls, and Plymouth High School for Girls are selective grammar schools that drive a clear catchment premium. Plymouth College is the main independent option. For the school-price relationship, see /blog/school-catchment-areas-property-prices.
What is the flood risk in Plymouth?
Environment Agency flood maps put parts of Plymouth waterfront (including PL1 Sutton Harbour, PL1 Stonehouse, PL2 Devonport, and the Royal William Yard) in Flood Zones 2 and 3 due to tidal-surge risk along the Sound and the Tamar/Plym estuaries. Coastal-erosion risk also applies along certain Plymouth Hoe and Mount Batten cliffs. Always check the EA Flood Map for Planning at the address level before exchange. For more, see /blog/flood-risk-zones-explained and /tools/coastal-erosion-check.
Is Plymouth good for first-time buyers?
ONS records the average Plymouth first-time-buyer price at £195,000 in January 2026, far below HMRC's £300,000 first-time-buyer stamp-duty relief threshold under the April 2025 SDLT regime. Postcodes PL2 Devonport, PL2 Keyham, and PL3 Efford routinely contain entry-level family homes below £170,000. Plymouth is among the strongest English coastal cities for first-time entry. For a complete plan, read /blog/first-time-buyer-checklist-2026.
How much does it cost to rent in Plymouth?
Plymouth supports strong rental yields driven by a 20,000-strong University of Plymouth student population and military personnel rotation through HMNB Devonport. ONS Private Rent and House Prices data for early 2026 shows the South West tracking annual rent inflation broadly in line with the UK rate of 3.4%. Postcodes PL4 city-centre and PL1 waterfront command the strongest yields. For yield analysis, see /blog/best-buy-to-let-areas-2026 and /blog/rental-yield-explained.
What is public transport like in Plymouth?
Plymouth station runs Great Western Railway services to London Paddington in around three hours and 20 minutes and CrossCountry services north via Bristol. The A38 Devon Expressway connects to the M5 at Exeter. Brittany Ferries operates Plymouth–Roscoff and Plymouth–Santander crossings from Millbay. Plymouth has no airport; Exeter Airport sits 50 minutes east. Run a £24.99 HouseCheckup report for connectivity at any Plymouth postcode.

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