Handsworth
vs Handsworth Wood
Handsworth has the younger population: 24% of residents are aged 15–29, against 23% in Handsworth Wood. Homes in Handsworth Wood sold for a median of £260,000, 30% above Handsworth. Handsworth Wood has more green space nearby (16% within 500 m, against 10%).
People
Handsworth has 11,120 residents in 3,280 households; Handsworth Wood has 19,956 in 6,560. Handsworth Wood has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 13%, 3.4 percentage points more than Handsworth (Birmingham: 13%). Handsworth Wood has the higher share of people living alone: 27%, 1 percentage point more than Handsworth (Birmingham: 32%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is terraced houses in Handsworth (52%) and semi-detached houses in Handsworth Wood (45%). Handsworth Wood has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 61%, 14.2 percentage points more than Handsworth (Birmingham: 53%). Handsworth Wood has the higher share of private renting: 27%, 3.8 percentage points more than Handsworth (Birmingham: 23%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £200,000 in Handsworth 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%, 6 percentage points more than Handsworth (Birmingham: 16%). A typical postcode has 106 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Handsworth, and 46 in Handsworth Wood. The typical postcode is 212 m from the nearest school in Handsworth and 363 m in Handsworth Wood. The typical postcode is 1,003 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Handsworth and 1,139 m in Handsworth Wood. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 98% of premises in Handsworth and 98% in Handsworth Wood.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 157 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Handsworth 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.
Handsworth is one of 69 wards in Birmingham, home to 11,120 people in 3,280 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £200,000 over the past two years, 17% below the Birmingham median. On average 10% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 39% 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.
Handsworth and Handsworth Wood next to other wards of Birmingham.