Chelsfield
vs Orpington
Orpington has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 14% in Chelsfield. Homes in Chelsfield sold for a median of £590,000, 4% above Orpington. Orpington has more green space nearby (13% within 500 m, against 13%).
People
Chelsfield has 11,565 residents in 4,516 households; Orpington has 11,961 in 4,755. The share of residents aged 65 and over is about the same in both (20% and 20%). Orpington has the higher share of people living alone: 25%, 1.1 percentage points more than Chelsfield (Bromley: 29%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is detached houses in Chelsfield (38%) and semi-detached houses in Orpington (46%). Chelsfield has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 83%, 11.5 percentage points more than Orpington (Bromley: 69%). Orpington has the higher share of private renting: 13%, 2.2 percentage points more than Chelsfield (Bromley: 17%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £590,000 in Chelsfield and £570,000 in Orpington, against £520,000 across Bromley.
Surroundings
The share of land within 500 m that is green space is about the same in both (13% and 13%). A typical postcode has 48 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Chelsfield, and 120 in Orpington. The typical postcode is 367 m from the nearest school in Chelsfield and 457 m in Orpington. The typical postcode is 958 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Chelsfield and 1,301 m in Orpington. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 87% of premises in Chelsfield and 96% in Orpington.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 40 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Chelsfield and 128 in Orpington, against 88 across Bromley. 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.
Chelsfield is one of 22 wards in Bromley, home to 11,565 people in 4,516 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £590,000 over the past two years, 13% above the Bromley median. On average 13% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 27% below the Bromley average.
Orpington is one of 22 wards in Bromley, home to 11,961 people in 4,755 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £570,000 over the past two years, 10% above the Bromley median. On average 13% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 26% below the Bromley average.
More comparisons.
Chelsfield and Orpington next to other wards of Bromley.