Caerau
vs Fairwater
Caerau has the younger population: 19% of residents are aged 15–29, against 18% in Fairwater. Homes in Fairwater sold for a median of £246,500, 12% above Caerau. Fairwater has more green space nearby (21% within 500 m, against 20%).
People
Caerau has 11,694 residents in 4,756 households; Fairwater has 13,064 in 5,865. Fairwater has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 17%, 2 percentage points more than Caerau (Cardiff: 15%). Fairwater has the higher share of people living alone: 37%, 6.4 percentage points more than Caerau (Cardiff: 32%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 47% of homes in Caerau and 40% in Fairwater. Fairwater has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 61%, 12.6 percentage points more than Caerau (Cardiff: 58%). Caerau has the higher share of private renting: 15%, 1.5 percentage points more than Fairwater (Cardiff: 24%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £220,000 in Caerau and £246,500 in Fairwater, against £270,000 across Cardiff.
Surroundings
The share of land within 500 m that is green space is about the same in both (20% and 21%). A typical postcode has 74 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Caerau, and 83 in Fairwater. The typical postcode is 357 m from the nearest school in Caerau and 310 m in Fairwater. The typical postcode is 2,056 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Caerau and 813 m in Fairwater. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 97% of premises in Caerau and 99% in Fairwater.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 145 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Caerau and 101 in Fairwater, 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.
Caerau is one of 28 wards in Cardiff, home to 11,694 people in 4,756 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £220,000 over the past two years, 19% below the Cardiff median. On average 20% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 9% above the Cardiff average.
Fairwater is one of 28 wards in Cardiff, home to 13,064 people in 5,865 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £246,500 over the past two years, 9% below the Cardiff median. On average 21% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 12% above the Cardiff average.
More comparisons.
Caerau and Fairwater next to other wards of Cardiff.