A Devon town has been named among the best places to live in the South West of England in 2024 according to The Sunday Times.

Exmouth was featured among the eight places in the South West of England category as part of the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide.

Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a celebration of towns, cities and villages that are each a fantastic place to live in 2024, from Dunkeld to Knutsford, Falmouth to Leeds. Wherever you are on the property ladder, there will be somewhere to suit you.  

“These are all places where you can feel grounded as well as upwardly mobile: they have a mature sense of community, lively, supportive high streets and an eye to the future, whether that is eco-friendly measures, transport and regeneration, or imaginative inclusion of new housing.”

The full list can be found on the Sunday Times website here.

What did The Sunday Times say about Exmouth?

Writing about Exmouth the publication praised the town for its sandy beach and sustainable watersports complex.

They said: "No longer a last resort for OAPS, Exmouth is filling up fast with a younger crowd, attracted by trains to Exeter, east Devon’s only naturally sandy beach and homes to suit every rung of the property ladder.

"Key to the town’s improvement is Sideshore, a sustainable watersports complex on the prom that opened during the pandemic and is an object lesson in how to revitalise seaside resorts with style." 

Exmouth's qualities have been recognised before, as in 2023 it was crowned as the Best Place to Live in England according to Muddy Stilettos.

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The publication wrote: "What’s not to love about a coastal town nestled where the Exe Estuary meets the sea, with two miles of golden sand, a 200-berth marina and great road and rail connections to Devon’s capital city?

"Exmouth has much for outdoorsy types with its long, easy-to-access beachfront, Jurassic Coast clifftop walks and the Exe Estuary Trail, but it’s the town’s increasingly swanky hospitality that’s putting it on the map."

Other locations included in the South West section of the Best Places to Live Guide were Falmouth in Cornwall and Sherborne in Dorset.