Orpington
vs Petts Wood & Knoll
Orpington has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 13% in Petts Wood & Knoll. Homes in Petts Wood & Knoll sold for a median of £685,000, 20% above Orpington. Orpington has more green space nearby (13% within 500 m, against 11%).
People
Orpington has 11,961 residents in 4,755 households; Petts Wood & Knoll has 16,930 in 6,751. Petts Wood & Knoll has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 22%, 1.9 percentage points more than Orpington (Bromley: 18%). Orpington has the higher share of people living alone: 25%, 1.2 percentage points more than Petts Wood & Knoll (Bromley: 29%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 46% of homes in Orpington and 47% in Petts Wood & Knoll. Petts Wood & Knoll has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 85%, 13.9 percentage points more than Orpington (Bromley: 69%). Orpington has the higher share of private renting: 13%, 1 percentage point more than Petts Wood & Knoll (Bromley: 17%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £570,000 in Orpington and £685,000 in Petts Wood & Knoll, against £520,000 across Bromley.
Surroundings
Orpington has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 13%, 1.9 percentage points more than Petts Wood & Knoll (Bromley: 17%). A typical postcode has 120 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Orpington, and 88 in Petts Wood & Knoll. The typical postcode is 457 m from the nearest school in Orpington and 546 m in Petts Wood & Knoll. The typical postcode is 1,301 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Orpington and 668 m in Petts Wood & Knoll. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 96% of premises in Orpington and 99% in Petts Wood & Knoll.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 128 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Orpington and 37 in Petts Wood & Knoll, 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.
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.
Petts Wood & Knoll is one of 22 wards in Bromley, home to 16,930 people in 6,751 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £685,000 over the past two years, 32% above the Bromley median. On average 11% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 37% below the Bromley average.
More comparisons.
Orpington and Petts Wood & Knoll next to other wards of Bromley.