Handsworth
vs Soho & Jewellery Quarter
Soho & Jewellery Quarter has the younger population: 31% of residents are aged 15–29, against 24% in Handsworth. Homes in Soho & Jewellery Quarter sold for a median of £205,000, in line with Handsworth. Handsworth has more green space nearby (10% within 500 m, against 7%).
People
Handsworth has 11,120 residents in 3,280 households; Soho & Jewellery Quarter has 25,499 in 10,710. Handsworth has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 10%, 2.9 percentage points more than Soho & Jewellery Quarter (Birmingham: 13%). Soho & Jewellery Quarter has the higher share of people living alone: 39%, 13 percentage points more than Handsworth (Birmingham: 32%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is terraced houses in Handsworth (52%) and flats in Soho & Jewellery Quarter (44%). Handsworth has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 46%, 19.7 percentage points more than Soho & Jewellery Quarter (Birmingham: 53%). Soho & Jewellery Quarter has the higher share of private renting: 46%, 22.8 percentage points more than Handsworth (Birmingham: 23%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £200,000 in Handsworth and £205,000 in Soho & Jewellery Quarter, against £240,000 across Birmingham.
Surroundings
Handsworth has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 10%, 3.2 percentage points more than Soho & Jewellery Quarter (Birmingham: 16%). A typical postcode has 106 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Handsworth, and 198 in Soho & Jewellery Quarter. The typical postcode is 212 m from the nearest school in Handsworth and 346 m in Soho & Jewellery Quarter. The typical postcode is 1,003 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Handsworth and 395 m in Soho & Jewellery Quarter. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 98% of premises in Handsworth and 87% in Soho & Jewellery Quarter.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 157 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Handsworth and 213 in Soho & Jewellery Quarter, 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.
Soho & Jewellery Quarter is one of 69 wards in Birmingham, home to 25,499 people in 10,710 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £205,000 over the past two years, 15% below the Birmingham median. On average 7% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 58% below the Birmingham average.
More comparisons.
Handsworth and Soho & Jewellery Quarter next to other wards of Birmingham.