Central
vs Hotwells and Harbourside

Central has the younger population: 64% of residents are aged 15–29, against 45% in Hotwells and Harbourside. Homes in Hotwells and Harbourside sold for a median of £350,000, 23% above Central. Hotwells and Harbourside has more green space nearby (13% within 500 m, against 8%).

Central

676 postcodes

Hotwells and Harbourside

192 postcodes

Bristol, City of

city average

People

Central has 18,088 residents in 6,290 households; Hotwells and Harbourside has 6,037 in 2,840. Hotwells and Harbourside has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 9%, 5.7 percentage points more than Central (Bristol, City of: 13%). Central has the higher share of people living alone: 43%, 2.1 percentage points more than Hotwells and Harbourside (Bristol, City of: 30%).

18,088Residents (2021)

6,037Residents (2021)

472,465Residents (2021)

6,290Households

2,840Households

191,638Households

64.2%Aged 15–29

44.9%Aged 15–29

25.7%Aged 15–29

3.3%Aged 65 and over

9.0%Aged 65 and over

12.9%Aged 65 and over

43.0%Living alone

40.9%Living alone

30.2%Living alone

Homes and prices

In both, flats are the most common type of home: 71% of homes in Central and 67% in Hotwells and Harbourside. Hotwells and Harbourside has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 36%, 15.7 percentage points more than Central (Bristol, City of: 54%). Central has the higher share of private renting: 59%, 8.2 percentage points more than Hotwells and Harbourside (Bristol, City of: 26%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £285,000 in Central and £350,000 in Hotwells and Harbourside, against £350,000 across Bristol, City of.

£285,000Median sale price

£350,000Median sale price

19.8%Owner-occupied

35.5%Owner-occupied

54.0%Owner-occupied

58.7%Private renting

50.5%Private renting

26.2%Private renting

19.7%Social renting

11.5%Social renting

18.7%Social renting

0.6%Detached houses

0.7%Detached houses

6.0%Detached houses

1.8%Semi-detached houses

3.4%Semi-detached houses

26.6%Semi-detached houses

4.3%Terraced houses

14.9%Terraced houses

32.1%Terraced houses

71.1%Flats

67.2%Flats

21.9%Flats

Surroundings

Hotwells and Harbourside has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 13%, 4.3 percentage points more than Central (Bristol, City of: 17%). A typical postcode has 838 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Central, and 772 in Hotwells and Harbourside. The typical postcode is 426 m from the nearest school in Central and 337 m in Hotwells and Harbourside. The typical postcode is 701 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Central and 381 m in Hotwells and Harbourside. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 85% of premises in Central and 84% in Hotwells and Harbourside.

8.3%Green space within 500 m

12.6%Green space within 500 m

17.4%Green space within 500 m

838Services within 15 min (median)

772Services within 15 min (median)

148Services within 15 min (median)

426 mNearest school (median)

337 mNearest school (median)

–Nearest school (median)

701 mNearest tram or rail (median)

381 mNearest tram or rail (median)

–Nearest tram or rail (median)

266Postcodes in flood risk areas

81Postcodes in flood risk areas

1,234Postcodes in flood risk areas

84.7%Gigabit broadband (premises)

83.8%Gigabit broadband (premises)

94.6%Gigabit broadband (premises)

Safety

Over 12 months, police recorded 677 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Central and 205 in Hotwells and Harbourside, against 156 across Bristol, City of. 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.

677Recorded crime per 1,000 residents

205Recorded crime per 1,000 residents

156Recorded crime per 1,000 residents

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.

Central

Central is one of 34 wards in Bristol, City of, home to 18,088 people in 6,290 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £285,000 over the past two years, 19% below the Bristol, City of median. On average 8% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 52% below the Bristol, City of average.

Hotwells and Harbourside

Hotwells and Harbourside is one of 34 wards in Bristol, City of, home to 6,037 people in 2,840 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £350,000 over the past two years, in line with the Bristol, City of median. On average 13% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 28% below the Bristol, City of average.

More comparisons.

Central and Hotwells and Harbourside next to other wards of Bristol, City of.

Central vs Cotham Central vs Southville Central vs Ashley Hotwells and Harbourside vs Clifton Hotwells and Harbourside vs Southville Hotwells and Harbourside vs Bedminster All wards of Bristol, City of

Centralvs Hotwells and Harbourside