Downley
vs Sands
Sands has the younger population: 20% of residents are aged 15–29, against 14% in Downley. Homes in Downley sold for a median of £440,000, 14% above Sands. Downley has more green space nearby (30% within 500 m, against 27%).
People
Downley has 6,185 residents in 2,327 households; Sands has 6,408 in 2,441. Downley has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 18%, 7.3 percentage points more than Sands (Buckinghamshire: 19%). Sands has the higher share of people living alone: 27%, 5.1 percentage points more than Downley (Buckinghamshire: 26%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 35% of homes in Downley and 39% in Sands. Downley has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 79%, 18.6 percentage points more than Sands (Buckinghamshire: 70%). Sands has the higher share of private renting: 24%, 13.1 percentage points more than Downley (Buckinghamshire: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £440,000 in Downley and £385,000 in Sands, against £460,000 across Buckinghamshire.
Surroundings
Downley has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 30%, 3.4 percentage points more than Sands (Buckinghamshire: 22%). A typical postcode has 48 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Downley, and 56 in Sands. The typical postcode is 519 m from the nearest school in Downley and 408 m in Sands. The typical postcode is 2,841 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Downley and 2,782 m in Sands. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 89% of premises in Downley and 94% in Sands.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 42 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Downley and 95 in Sands, against 65 across Buckinghamshire. 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.
Downley is one of 49 wards in Buckinghamshire, home to 6,185 people in 2,327 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £440,000 over the past two years, 4% below the Buckinghamshire median. On average 30% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 38% above the Buckinghamshire average.
Sands is one of 49 wards in Buckinghamshire, home to 6,408 people in 2,441 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £385,000 over the past two years, 16% below the Buckinghamshire median. On average 27% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 23% above the Buckinghamshire average.
More comparisons.
Downley and Sands next to other wards of Buckinghamshire.