Orpington
vs St Mary Cray
St Mary Cray has the younger population: 17% of residents are aged 15–29, against 16% in Orpington. Homes in Orpington sold for a median of £570,000, 33% above St Mary Cray. St Mary Cray has more green space nearby (18% within 500 m, against 13%).
People
Orpington has 11,961 residents in 4,755 households; St Mary Cray has 18,438 in 7,612. Orpington has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 20%, 3.3 percentage points more than St Mary Cray (Bromley: 18%). St Mary Cray has the higher share of people living alone: 30%, 5.4 percentage points more than Orpington (Bromley: 29%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 46% of homes in Orpington and 45% in St Mary Cray. Orpington has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 71%, 6.8 percentage points more than St Mary Cray (Bromley: 69%). The share of private renting is about the same in both (13% and 13%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £570,000 in Orpington and £430,000 in St Mary Cray, against £520,000 across Bromley.
Surroundings
St Mary Cray has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 18%, 5.2 percentage points more than Orpington (Bromley: 17%). A typical postcode has 120 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Orpington, and 89 in St Mary Cray. The typical postcode is 457 m from the nearest school in Orpington and 417 m in St Mary Cray. The typical postcode is 1,301 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Orpington and 1,038 m in St Mary Cray. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 96% of premises in Orpington and 94% in St Mary Cray.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 128 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Orpington and 81 in St Mary Cray, 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.
St Mary Cray is one of 22 wards in Bromley, home to 18,438 people in 7,612 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £430,000 over the past two years, 17% below the Bromley median. On average 18% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 4% above the Bromley average.
More comparisons.
Orpington and St Mary Cray next to other wards of Bromley.