Butetown
vs Cathays
Cathays has the younger population: 77% of residents are aged 15–29, against 39% in Butetown. Homes in Cathays sold for a median of £250,000, 37% above Butetown. Butetown has more green space nearby (11% within 500 m, against 10%).
People
Butetown has 12,126 residents in 5,476 households; Cathays has 21,823 in 6,168. Butetown has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 9%, 5.3 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 15%). Butetown has the higher share of people living alone: 42%, 12.9 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 32%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is flats in Butetown (76%) and terraced houses in Cathays (48%). Butetown has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 32%, 10.4 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 58%). Cathays has the higher share of private renting: 72%, 23.4 percentage points more than Butetown (Cardiff: 24%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £182,250 in Butetown and £250,000 in Cathays, against £270,000 across Cardiff.
Surroundings
The share of land within 500 m that is green space is about the same in both (11% and 10%). A typical postcode has 233 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Butetown, and 486 in Cathays. The typical postcode is 331 m from the nearest school in Butetown and 596 m in Cathays. The typical postcode is 496 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Butetown and 476 m in Cathays. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 72% of premises in Butetown and 83% in Cathays.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 255 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Butetown 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.
Butetown is one of 28 wards in Cardiff, home to 12,126 people in 5,476 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £182,250 over the past two years, 33% below the Cardiff median. On average 11% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 43% 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.
Butetown and Cathays next to other wards of Cardiff.