Town comparison
Looe vs Plymouth
Which is better to live in? 14.7 miles apart — compared on house prices, crime, schools, broadband and more.
The verdict
When it comes to cost of living, Plymouth wins on house prices with a 14% gap. Looe has the lower crime rate of the two.
Avg House Price
Looe
£311,504
Plymouth
£274,369
Crime Rate
Looe
62.3
Plymouth
91.9
Top-Two School Inspection Bands
Looe
N/A
Plymouth
95.7%
Avg Download Speed
Looe
207
Plymouth
418
EPC Rating
Looe
66.2
Plymouth
70.1
Median Income
Looe
£27,819
Plymouth
£28,309
House Prices (2025)
Most affordable in South WestProperty in Looe commands an average of £311,504, compared with £274,369 in Plymouth – a difference of 14%. The most affordable entry point in Looe is a flat at £203,550, while in Plymouth it is a flat at £150,772.
Average Price by Property Type (2025)
Biggest gap: flat homes are 35% pricier in Looe (£203,550 vs £150,772).
Price Trend (11 Years)
Over the last 9 years, Looe prices grew faster — 33% vs 28%.
Crime & Safety
Safest in South WestResidents of Looe experience less crime overall, with a rate of 62.3 per 1,000 versus 91.9 per 1,000 in Plymouth. The most common crime category in Looe is violent-crime, while in Plymouth it is violent-crime.
Crime Rate by Category (per 1,000 residents)
Both towns share the same top crime category: violent crime.
Schools & Education
Best for schools in South WestSchool quality data is not fully available for both Looe and Plymouth. Looe has 2 schools and Plymouth has 89 schools.
Looe School Inspection Breakdown
Plymouth School Inspection Breakdown
95.7% of 89 schools (70 primary, 19 secondary) sit in the top two inspection bands.
| Metric | Looe | Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Total Schools | 2 | 89 |
| Primary | 1 | 70 |
| Secondary | 1 | 19 |
| % Top two bands | N/A | 95.7% |
Broadband & Connectivity
Average broadband speeds are 418.0 Mbps in Plymouth and 207.0 Mbps in Looe. Superfast coverage (30 Mbps+) reaches 91.8% of premises in Looe and 91.2% in Plymouth. Gigabit availability stands at 31.3% in Looe and 80.7% in Plymouth.
Plymouth is the faster of the two by 102% on average download speed (418 vs 207 Mbps).
Energy Efficiency & Running Costs
Energy efficiency favours Plymouth, scoring 70.1 on average (band C) compared to 66.2 (band C) in Looe. Estimated annual energy costs average £1,418 in Looe and £1,053 in Plymouth. 51.5% of homes in Looe have an EPC rating of C or above, compared to 63.4% in Plymouth.
Plymouth has more energy-efficient housing — 63.4% reach band C or above, vs 51.5% in the other.
Demographics & Economy
Median household income is £28,309 in Plymouth and £27,819 in Looe. The median age is 47.6 in Looe and 42.6 in Plymouth. Employment rates stand at 53.3% in Looe and 55.4% in Plymouth. Owner-occupancy is 66.2% in Looe versus 57.6% in Plymouth. Looe has a population of 5,314 and Plymouth has 266,970.
| Indicator | Looe | Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,314 | 266,970 |
| Median Age | 47.6 | 42.6 |
| Median Household Income | £27,819 | £28,309 |
| Employment Rate | 53.3% | 55.4% |
| Owner Occupied | 66.2% | 57.6% |
| Degree-Level Qualified | 30.6% | 27.5% |
Location
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
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