Cathays
vs Penylan
Cathays has the younger population: 77% of residents are aged 15–29, against 20% in Penylan. Homes in Penylan sold for a median of £415,000, 66% above Cathays. Penylan has more green space nearby (15% within 500 m, against 10%).
People
Cathays has 21,823 residents in 6,168 households; Penylan has 12,909 in 5,272. Penylan has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 20%, 17.1 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 15%). Penylan has the higher share of people living alone: 31%, 1.8 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 32%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is terraced houses in Cathays (48%) and semi-detached houses in Penylan (30%). Penylan has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 72%, 50.5 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 58%). Cathays has the higher share of private renting: 72%, 51.5 percentage points more than Penylan (Cardiff: 24%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £250,000 in Cathays and £415,000 in Penylan, against £270,000 across Cardiff.
Surroundings
Penylan has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 15%, 5.6 percentage points more than Cathays (Cardiff: 19%). A typical postcode has 486 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Cathays, and 162 in Penylan. The typical postcode is 596 m from the nearest school in Cathays and 373 m in Penylan. The typical postcode is 476 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Cathays and 1,801 m in Penylan. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 83% of premises in Cathays and 87% in Penylan.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 334 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Cathays and 89 in Penylan, 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.
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.
Penylan is one of 28 wards in Cardiff, home to 12,909 people in 5,272 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £415,000 over the past two years, 54% above the Cardiff median. On average 15% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 18% below the Cardiff average.
More comparisons.
Cathays and Penylan next to other wards of Cardiff.