Recently digitised census data from 1961 has unearthed a range of lifestyle changes over the past 50 years in Dawlish.

Hygiene

According to the Office for National Statistics, as many as 15.4% of Dawlish homes did not have a 'fixed bath' in 1961 - i.e. a bath inside a house that had waste water plumbing (showers were less common at the time).

Instead, these households would have used a standalone bath that had to be filled with hot water using a bucket.

Also, in England and Wales, around 7% of homes did not have an indoor toilet. Dawlish was slightly above average in this regard, with 5% of homes without a flushing loo.

Home ownership

Comparing tenure in 1961 to 2011, there has been a rise in home ownership and a decrease in renting.

In Dawlish in 1961, 54% of homes were owned, 24% were rented, and 16% were owned by the council.

In 2011, 68% were owned, 17% were rented, and 1.6% were owned by the council.

NB. Percentages do not sum to 100% as some housing categories not included.

Population

In 1961, Dawlish was home to 8,000 people. In 2011, the population increased to 13,000.

Cities and rural districts saw greater population growth, with Exeter going from 80,000 to 118,000, and the Newton Abbot Rural District (which included Bovey Tracey, Chudleigh, and Moretonhampstead) increasing from 26,000 people to 50,000.

Divorce

These statistics are not localised to Dawlish, but do give us a broader picture of social change.

In 1961, 68% of people aged 16 and over were married, and 0.8% were divorced.

In 2011, 49% of people aged 16 and over were married or in a same-sex civil partnership, and 9% were divorced or in a legally dissolved civil partnership.

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