Before (end of 2002) (40 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 22 · Liberal Democrats 8 · Conservative 6 · Other 4
After (end of 2003) (40 seats, Elections Centre)
Labour 20 · Liberal Democrats 10 · Conservative 6 · Other 4
Ward results
Alphington1 seat · turnout 35.4%
| Peter Wadham | Liberal Democrats | 1,229 ✓ |
| Peter Cox | Conservative | 628 |
| Celia Morrish | Labour | 398 |
Cowick1 seat · turnout 38.7%
| Michael Mills | Labour | 701 ✓ |
| Margaret Baldwin | Conservative | 626 |
| Rod Ruffle | Liberal Democrats | 196 |
| David Challice | UK Independence Party (UKIP) | 77 |
| John Hayward | Green | 49 |
Duryard1 seat · turnout 25.7%
| Cherry Luxton | Liberal Democrats | 553 ✓ |
| Greg Stone | Conservative | 380 |
| Dominic O'Brien | Labour | 125 |
| Suzanne Dunstan | Green | 103 |
Exwick1 seat · turnout 27.9%
| Roy Slack | Labour | 843 ✓ |
| David Mashiter | Independent | 260 |
| Daniel Bower | Conservative | 253 |
| Paul Geoffrey David Pettinger | Liberal Democrats | 240 |
| Lawrence Simon Harper | UK Independence Party (UKIP) | 87 |
| Thomas Chant | Green | 80 |
Heavitree1 seat · turnout 40.8%
| David Morrish | LIB | 1,176 ✓ |
| Ian Martin | Labour | 272 |
| Jonathan Farquharson | Conservative | 194 |
| Pamela Thickett | Liberal Democrats | 95 |
Mincinglake1 seat · turnout 25.7%
| Dilys Baldwin | Labour | 566 ✓ |
| Richard Briggs | Conservative | 246 |
| Andrew Matthew Soper | Liberal Democrats | 175 |
| Alison Raddon | Green | 42 |
| Peter Sloman | — | 28 |
Priory1 seat · turnout 28.2%
| Mark Baldwin | Labour | 1,007 ✓ |
| Iris Newby | Conservative | 467 |
| Maxwell Carrolle | Liberal Democrats | 345 |
| Results | — | 0 |
St James1 seat · turnout 26.7%
| Kevin Mitchell | Liberal Democrats | 532 ✓ |
| Marcel Choules | Labour | 483 |
| Alexander Barahona | Conservative | 170 |
| Anita Sutcliffe | Green | 162 |
St Loyes1 seat · turnout 34.8%
| Margaret Danks | LIB | 749 ✓ |
| Emily Dover | Conservative | 223 |
| Christine Anne Buswell | Labour | 207 |
| Thomas Revesz | Liberal Democrats | 72 |
St Thomas1 seat · turnout 43.7%
| Adrian Fullam | Liberal Democrats | 1,108 ✓ |
| Connel Boyle | Labour | 660 |
| Gerald Sclater | Conservative | 179 |
| Paul Edwards | Green | 76 |
St. Leonards1 seat · turnout 48.7%
| John Winterbottom | Conservative | 873 ✓ |
| Eileen Digweed | Labour | 515 |
| Sheila Muriel Hobden | Liberal Democrats | 199 |
| Nicholas Discombe | Green | 149 |
| Terence Griffin | Independent | 64 |
Topsham1 seat
| Robert Bewby | Conservative | 1,199 ✓ |
| John William Bryant | Liberal Democrats | 384 |
| Michael Groves | Labour | 293 |
| Joyce Barkla | Green | 130 |
Whipton and Barton1 seat · turnout 33.4%
| Hilda Sterry | Labour | 946 ✓ |
| Keith Danks | LIB | 423 |
| Keith Nelson-Tomsen | Conservative | 340 |
| Pauline Osterly | Liberal Democrats | 178 |
| Elizabeth Allnatt | — | 39 |