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Living in Exeter

Exeter is one of the cities recorded in the United Kingdom. Exeter numbered 126,175 residents at the end of 2021. Regional median gross salary figures for Exeter showed €2,827 per month at the end of 2024. Exeter registered an unemployment rate of 5.63% at the end of 2018.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Exeter?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Exeter.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Exeter yet. United Kingdom has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

Work and income

Employment rates for Exeter measured 53.8% at the end of 2021. Exeter had 57,795 at the end of 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Exeter?

The unemployment rate is about 5.6 % (2018).

  • Unemployment rate: 5.63 % · Eurostat2
Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Exeter is 5.6%. Of 384 cities with data, 230 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United Kingdom per band9 cities: 0% to under 2%90–2230 cities: 2% to under 4%2302–4107 cities: 4% to under 6%1074–6Exeter 5.6%30 cities: 6% to under 8%306–84 cities: 8% to under 10%48–103 cities: 10% to under 12%310–121 city: 16% to under 18%116–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate53.8 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,827 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)6Official · regional context
Unemployment rate5.63 %country median 3.5%31 Dec 2018Eurostat2Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 1991–2018
Unemployment rate in Exeter by year, %3.2%4.7%6.2%7.7%199120042009201520185.6%%

Unemployment rate fell 24.2% between 1991 and 2018, from 7.4% to 5.6%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Exeter. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Exeter. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count53 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official
School Count83 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official

Mobility and administration

Exeter's nearest airport was EXT, 8 km away and offered 19 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count19 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights9Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km8 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official
Nearest Major Airport IataEXT3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official

Climate and air quality

Exeter's monthly mean temperatures were 6.5°C in January and 16.2°C in July.

Is the air quality good in Exeter?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 5.23 µg/m³ · uk-air.defra.gov.uk11
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Exeter annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5255.2PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Exeter is 5.2 µg/m³. Of 104 cities with data, 52 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United Kingdom per band1 city: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³14–522 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³225–6Exeter 5.252 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³526–727 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³277–82 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³28–9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean5.23 µg/m³31 Dec 2024uk-air.defra.gov.uk11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 12.89 · Feb 13.33 · Mar 15.79 · Apr 20.58 · May 22.23 · Jun 24.1 · Jul 25.94 · Aug 25.77 · Sep 22.62 · Oct 21.42 · Nov 16.58 · Dec 13.72 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official · coordinate grid
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -2.48 · Feb -3.32 · Mar -3.56 · Apr -0.62 · May 3.49 · Jun 6.35 · Jul 9.11 · Aug 8.36 · Sep 5.76 · Oct 2.1 · Nov -1.76 · Dec -2.13 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by monthJan 6.55 · Feb 6.08 · Mar 7.02 · Apr 9.01 · May 11.62 · Jun 14.39 · Jul 16.2 · Aug 16.19 · Sep 14.69 · Oct 12.29 · Nov 9.34 · Dec 7.31 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official · coordinate grid

Cities of a similar size in United Kingdom

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United Kingdom cities
Blackburn124,955 residentsColchester130,245 residentsWatford131,325 residentsCrawley120,550 residentsGloucester118,555 residentsStockport117,935 residents

Population and city profile

At the end of 2021, the median age reached 35 years.

How many people live in Exeter?

The published population was 126,175 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics5

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population126,175 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official

International community in Exeter

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom106,97584.8%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)11,1758.9%
Europe: EU countries8,0256.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source8

Is Exeter a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker45%strong on work, weak on safety · range 34–56%
Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 48–68%
Student61%strong on education, weak on safety · range 51–71%
Family63%strong on family, weak on safety · range 52–74%
Retirement53%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 39–67%
Population126,175 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Employment rate53.8 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary (regional)2,827 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Unemployment rate5.63 %31 Dec 2018Official source · Eurostat
PM2.5 — annual mean5.23 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · uk-air.defra.gov.uk
Median age35 years31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-26

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct34.2 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus57,795 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
Median age35 years31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official
Universities1 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students7Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Exeter under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Exeter?

The published population was 126,175 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Exeter?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: uk-air.defra.gov.uk.

What is the unemployment rate in Exeter?

The unemployment rate is about 5.6 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Exeter?

The median gross salary is 2,827 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Exeter a good place to live?

Exeter may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Europe: EU countries live in Exeter?

The official country of birth distribution records 8,025 people (6.4%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Exeter, United Kingdom: salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/exeter/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_exeter-united-kingdom-salary-jobs_cb0b151d1212,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Exeter, United Kingdom: salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/exeter/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Exeter, United Kingdom: salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/exeter/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  2. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  3. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  4. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  6. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  7. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  8. ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
  9. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  10. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Show 1 more source
  1. uk-air.defra.gov.uk uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.