Canford Heath
vs Oakdale
Canford Heath has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 15% in Oakdale. Homes in Oakdale sold for a median of £355,500, 13% above Canford Heath. Canford Heath has more green space nearby (31% within 500 m, against 8%).
People
Canford Heath has 14,389 residents in 5,949 households; Oakdale has 11,525 in 4,725. Oakdale has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 23%, 4 percentage points more than Canford Heath (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 22%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (26% and 26%).
Homes and prices
In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 38% of homes in Canford Heath and 53% in Oakdale. Oakdale has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 78%, 9.8 percentage points more than Canford Heath (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 63%). Canford Heath has the higher share of private renting: 17%, 5.3 percentage points more than Oakdale (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 25%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £315,000 in Canford Heath and £355,500 in Oakdale, 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%, 22.6 percentage points more than Oakdale (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: 14%). A typical postcode has 82 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Canford Heath, and 78 in Oakdale. The typical postcode is 478 m from the nearest school in Canford Heath and 353 m in Oakdale. The typical postcode is 3,152 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Canford Heath and 1,649 m in Oakdale. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 97% of premises in Canford Heath and 99% in Oakdale.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 58 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Canford Heath and 37 in Oakdale, 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.
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.
Oakdale is one of 33 wards in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, home to 11,525 people in 4,725 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £355,500 over the past two years, 5% above the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole median. On average 8% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 45% below the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole average.
More comparisons.
Canford Heath and Oakdale next to other wards of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.