Birchfield
vs Handsworth Wood
Birchfield has the younger population: 25% of residents are aged 15–29, against 23% in Handsworth Wood. Homes in Handsworth Wood sold for a median of £260,000, 22% above Birchfield. Handsworth Wood has more green space nearby (16% within 500 m, against 8%).
People
Birchfield has 13,169 residents in 4,318 households; Handsworth Wood has 19,956 in 6,560. Handsworth Wood has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 13%, 3.9 percentage points more than Birchfield (Birmingham: 13%). Birchfield has the higher share of people living alone: 36%, 8.2 percentage points more than Handsworth Wood (Birmingham: 32%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is terraced houses in Birchfield (28%) and semi-detached houses in Handsworth Wood (45%). Handsworth Wood has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 61%, 26 percentage points more than Birchfield (Birmingham: 53%). Handsworth Wood has the higher share of private renting: 27%, 5.5 percentage points more than Birchfield (Birmingham: 23%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £212,500 in Birchfield and £260,000 in Handsworth Wood, against £240,000 across Birmingham.
Surroundings
Handsworth Wood has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 16%, 7.8 percentage points more than Birchfield (Birmingham: 16%). A typical postcode has 87 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Birchfield, and 46 in Handsworth Wood. The typical postcode is 238 m from the nearest school in Birchfield and 363 m in Handsworth Wood. The typical postcode is 950 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Birchfield and 1,139 m in Handsworth Wood. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 92% of premises in Birchfield and 98% in Handsworth Wood.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 111 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Birchfield and 83 in Handsworth Wood, against 128 across Birmingham. Police.uk records crimes by approximate location, not by where victims or offenders live. Busy streets, shops, stations and nightlife record more. Figures are counts, not a measure of personal risk.
Sources: Census 2021 (ONS) · HM Land Registry Price Paid Data · official school registers · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Environment Agency · data.police.uk, 12 months to Aug 2026 · Ofcom Connected Nations
In brief.
Each ward in a few lines, from its own page.
Birchfield is one of 69 wards in Birmingham, home to 13,169 people in 4,318 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £212,500 over the past two years, 11% below the Birmingham median. On average 8% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 50% below the Birmingham average.
Handsworth Wood is one of 69 wards in Birmingham, home to 19,956 people in 6,560 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £260,000 over the past two years, 8% above the Birmingham median. On average 16% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — in line with the Birmingham average.
More comparisons.
Birchfield and Handsworth Wood next to other wards of Birmingham.