Handsworth
vs Holyhead
Handsworth has the younger population: 24% of residents are aged 15–29, against 22% in Holyhead. Homes in Handsworth sold for a median of £200,000, 14% above Holyhead. Handsworth has more green space nearby (10% within 500 m, against 7%).
People
Handsworth has 11,120 residents in 3,280 households; Holyhead has 11,758 in 3,807. The share of residents aged 65 and over is about the same in both (10% and 10%). Handsworth has the higher share of people living alone: 26%, 2.4 percentage points more than Holyhead (Birmingham: 32%).
Homes and prices
In both, terraced houses are the most common type of home: 52% of homes in Handsworth and 51% in Holyhead. Handsworth has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 46%, 4.1 percentage points more than Holyhead (Birmingham: 53%). Holyhead has the higher share of private renting: 32%, 9.7 percentage points more than Handsworth (Birmingham: 23%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £200,000 in Handsworth and £176,000 in Holyhead, against £240,000 across Birmingham.
Surroundings
Handsworth has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 10%, 2.8 percentage points more than Holyhead (Birmingham: 16%). A typical postcode has 106 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Handsworth, and 69 in Holyhead. The typical postcode is 212 m from the nearest school in Handsworth and 262 m in Holyhead. The typical postcode is 1,003 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Handsworth and 685 m in Holyhead. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 98% of premises in Handsworth and 98% in Holyhead.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 157 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Handsworth and 172 in Holyhead, 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.
Holyhead is one of 69 wards in Birmingham, home to 11,758 people in 3,807 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £176,000 over the past two years, 27% below the Birmingham median. On average 7% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 56% below the Birmingham average.
More comparisons.
Handsworth and Holyhead next to other wards of Birmingham.