Bearwood & Merley
vs Canford Heath
Canford Heath has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 16% in Bearwood & Merley. Homes in Bearwood & Merley sold for a median of £375,000, 19% above Canford Heath. Canford Heath has more green space nearby (31% within 500 m, against 21%).
People
Bearwood & Merley has 13,618 residents in 5,598 households; Canford Heath has 14,389 in 5,949. Bearwood & Merley has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 27%, 8.6 percentage points more than Canford Heath (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 22%). Canford Heath has the higher share of people living alone: 26%, 1.4 percentage points more than Bearwood & Merley (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 33%).
Homes and prices
In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 63% of homes in Bearwood & Merley and 38% in Canford Heath. Bearwood & Merley has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 82%, 13.3 percentage points more than Canford Heath (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 63%). Canford Heath has the higher share of private renting: 17%, 6.9 percentage points more than Bearwood & Merley (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 25%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £375,000 in Bearwood & Merley and £315,000 in Canford Heath, against £339,250 across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Surroundings
Canford Heath has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 31%, 9.3 percentage points more than Bearwood & Merley (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 14%). A typical postcode has 33 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Bearwood & Merley, and 82 in Canford Heath. The typical postcode is 568 m from the nearest school in Bearwood & Merley and 478 m in Canford Heath. The typical postcode is 5,067 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Bearwood & Merley and 3,152 m in Canford Heath. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 84% of premises in Bearwood & Merley and 97% in Canford Heath.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 63 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Bearwood & Merley and 58 in Canford Heath, against 90 across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. 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.
Bearwood & Merley is one of 33 wards in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, home to 13,618 people in 5,598 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £375,000 over the past two years, 11% above the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole median. On average 21% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 48% above the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole average.
Canford Heath is one of 33 wards in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, home to 14,389 people in 5,949 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £315,000 over the past two years, 7% below the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole median. On average 31% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 113% above the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole average.
More comparisons.
Bearwood & Merley and Canford Heath next to other wards of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.