Bearwood & Merley
vs Kinson
Kinson 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, 21% above Kinson. Kinson has more green space nearby (22% within 500 m, against 21%).
People
Bearwood & Merley has 13,618 residents in 5,598 households; Kinson has 18,200 in 7,618. Bearwood & Merley has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 27%, 7.3 percentage points more than Kinson (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 22%). Kinson has the higher share of people living alone: 30%, 5.4 percentage points more than Bearwood & Merley (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 33%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is detached houses in Bearwood & Merley (63%) and semi-detached houses in Kinson (39%). Bearwood & Merley has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 82%, 24.9 percentage points more than Kinson (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 63%). Kinson has the higher share of private renting: 13%, 2.5 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 £310,000 in Kinson, against £339,250 across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Surroundings
The share of land within 500 m that is green space is about the same in both (21% and 22%). A typical postcode has 33 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Bearwood & Merley, and 63 in Kinson. The typical postcode is 568 m from the nearest school in Bearwood & Merley and 386 m in Kinson. The typical postcode is 5,067 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Bearwood & Merley and 4,366 m in Kinson. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 84% of premises in Bearwood & Merley and 93% in Kinson.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 63 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Bearwood & Merley and 98 in Kinson, 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.
Kinson is one of 33 wards in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, home to 18,200 people in 7,618 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £310,000 over the past two years, 9% below the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole median. On average 22% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 50% above the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole average.
More comparisons.
Bearwood & Merley and Kinson next to other wards of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.