Handsworth Wood
vs Holyhead
Handsworth Wood has the younger population: 23% of residents are aged 15–29, against 22% in Holyhead. Homes in Handsworth Wood sold for a median of £260,000, 48% above Holyhead. Handsworth Wood has more green space nearby (16% within 500 m, against 7%).
People
Handsworth Wood has 19,956 residents in 6,560 households; Holyhead has 11,758 in 3,807. Handsworth Wood has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 13%, 3.3 percentage points more than Holyhead (Birmingham: 13%). Handsworth Wood has the higher share of people living alone: 27%, 3.4 percentage points more than Holyhead (Birmingham: 32%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is semi-detached houses in Handsworth Wood (45%) and terraced houses in Holyhead (51%). Handsworth Wood has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 61%, 18.3 percentage points more than Holyhead (Birmingham: 53%). Holyhead has the higher share of private renting: 32%, 5.9 percentage points more than Handsworth Wood (Birmingham: 23%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £260,000 in Handsworth Wood and £176,000 in Holyhead, against £240,000 across Birmingham.
Surroundings
Handsworth Wood has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 16%, 8.8 percentage points more than Holyhead (Birmingham: 16%). A typical postcode has 46 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Handsworth Wood, and 69 in Holyhead. The typical postcode is 363 m from the nearest school in Handsworth Wood and 262 m in Holyhead. The typical postcode is 1,139 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Handsworth Wood and 685 m in Holyhead. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 98% of premises in Handsworth Wood and 98% in Holyhead.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 83 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Handsworth Wood 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 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.
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 Wood and Holyhead next to other wards of Birmingham.