Adamsdown
vs Cathays
Cathays has the younger population: 77% of residents are aged 15–29, against 42% in Adamsdown. Homes in Cathays sold for a median of £250,000, 17% above Adamsdown. Cathays has more green space nearby (10% within 500 m, against 5%).
People
Adamsdown has 11,611 residents in 4,108 households; Cathays has 21,823 in 6,168. Adamsdown has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 5%, 2 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 15%). Adamsdown has the higher share of people living alone: 40%, 10.5 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 32%).
Homes and prices
In both, terraced houses are the most common type of home: 42% of homes in Adamsdown and 48% in Cathays. Adamsdown has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 30%, 8.9 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 58%). Cathays has the higher share of private renting: 72%, 27.7 percentage points more than Adamsdown (Cardiff: 24%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £214,500 in Adamsdown and £250,000 in Cathays, against £270,000 across Cardiff.
Surroundings
Cathays has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 10%, 5 percentage points more than Adamsdown (Cardiff: 19%). A typical postcode has 287 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Adamsdown, and 486 in Cathays. The typical postcode is 245 m from the nearest school in Adamsdown and 596 m in Cathays. The typical postcode is 956 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Adamsdown and 476 m in Cathays. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 94% of premises in Adamsdown and 83% in Cathays.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 254 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Adamsdown and 334 in Cathays, against 118 across Cardiff. 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.
Adamsdown is one of 28 wards in Cardiff, home to 11,611 people in 4,108 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £214,500 over the past two years, 21% below the Cardiff median. On average 5% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 75% below the Cardiff average.
Cathays is one of 28 wards in Cardiff, home to 21,823 people in 6,168 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £250,000 over the past two years, 7% below the Cardiff median. On average 10% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 48% below the Cardiff average.
More comparisons.
Adamsdown and Cathays next to other wards of Cardiff.