Darwin
vs Orpington
Orpington has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 15% in Darwin. Homes in Darwin sold for a median of £619,500, 9% above Orpington. Darwin has more green space nearby (33% within 500 m, against 13%).
People
Darwin has 5,774 residents in 2,292 households; Orpington has 11,961 in 4,755. Darwin has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 25%, 5.4 percentage points more than Orpington (Bromley: 18%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (24% and 25%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is detached houses in Darwin (54%) and semi-detached houses in Orpington (46%). Darwin has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 84%, 12.5 percentage points more than Orpington (Bromley: 69%). Orpington has the higher share of private renting: 13%, 1.6 percentage points more than Darwin (Bromley: 17%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £619,500 in Darwin and £570,000 in Orpington, against £520,000 across Bromley.
Surroundings
Darwin has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 33%, 20.7 percentage points more than Orpington (Bromley: 17%). A typical postcode has 9 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Darwin, and 120 in Orpington. The typical postcode is 884 m from the nearest school in Darwin and 457 m in Orpington. The typical postcode is 3,452 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Darwin and 1,301 m in Orpington. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 86% of premises in Darwin and 96% in Orpington.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 82 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Darwin 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.
Darwin is one of 22 wards in Bromley, home to 5,774 people in 2,292 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £619,500 over the past two years, 19% above the Bromley median. On average 33% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 95% above 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.
Darwin and Orpington next to other wards of Bromley.