Handsworth Wood
vs Perry Barr
Handsworth Wood has the younger population: 23% of residents are aged 15–29, against 19% in Perry Barr. Homes in Handsworth Wood sold for a median of £260,000, 17% above Perry Barr. Perry Barr has more green space nearby (37% within 500 m, against 16%).
People
Handsworth Wood has 19,956 residents in 6,560 households; Perry Barr has 20,872 in 7,883. Perry Barr has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 15%, 2 percentage points more than Handsworth Wood (Birmingham: 13%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (27% and 28%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 45% of homes in Handsworth Wood and 69% in Perry Barr. Perry Barr has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 70%, 9.3 percentage points more than Handsworth Wood (Birmingham: 53%). Handsworth Wood has the higher share of private renting: 27%, 3.7 percentage points more than Perry Barr (Birmingham: 23%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £260,000 in Handsworth Wood and £222,500 in Perry Barr, against £240,000 across Birmingham.
Surroundings
Perry Barr has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 37%, 20.7 percentage points more than Handsworth Wood (Birmingham: 16%). A typical postcode has 46 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Handsworth Wood, and 87 in Perry Barr. The typical postcode is 363 m from the nearest school in Handsworth Wood and 469 m in Perry Barr. The typical postcode is 1,139 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Handsworth Wood and 1,005 m in Perry Barr. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 98% of premises in Handsworth Wood and 98% in Perry Barr.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 83 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Handsworth Wood and 152 in Perry Barr, 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.
Perry Barr is one of 69 wards in Birmingham, home to 20,872 people in 7,883 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £222,500 over the past two years, 7% below the Birmingham median. On average 37% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 125% above the Birmingham average.
More comparisons.
Handsworth Wood and Perry Barr next to other wards of Birmingham.