Gabalfa
vs Riverside
Gabalfa has the younger population: 57% of residents are aged 15–29, against 24% in Riverside. Homes in Gabalfa sold for a median of £307,500, 4% above Riverside. Riverside has more green space nearby (18% within 500 m, against 14%).
People
Gabalfa has 9,419 residents in 2,513 households; Riverside has 13,751 in 6,163. Riverside has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 11%, 4.5 percentage points more than Gabalfa (Cardiff: 15%). Riverside has the higher share of people living alone: 41%, 15.3 percentage points more than Gabalfa (Cardiff: 32%).
Homes and prices
In both, terraced houses are the most common type of home: 53% of homes in Gabalfa and 44% in Riverside. Gabalfa has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 47%, 2.5 percentage points more than Riverside (Cardiff: 58%). Gabalfa has the higher share of private renting: 42%, 1.9 percentage points more than Riverside (Cardiff: 24%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £307,500 in Gabalfa and £295,000 in Riverside, against £270,000 across Cardiff.
Surroundings
Riverside has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 18%, 3.8 percentage points more than Gabalfa (Cardiff: 19%). A typical postcode has 182 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Gabalfa, and 308 in Riverside. The typical postcode is 178 m from the nearest school in Gabalfa and 441 m in Riverside. The typical postcode is 1,271 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Gabalfa and 833 m in Riverside. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 90% of premises in Gabalfa and 92% in Riverside.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 101 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Gabalfa and 182 in Riverside, 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.
Gabalfa is one of 28 wards in Cardiff, home to 9,419 people in 2,513 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £307,500 over the past two years, 14% above the Cardiff median. On average 14% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 26% below the Cardiff average.
Riverside is one of 28 wards in Cardiff, home to 13,751 people in 6,163 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £295,000 over the past two years, 9% above the Cardiff median. On average 18% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 5% below the Cardiff average.
More comparisons.
Gabalfa and Riverside next to other wards of Cardiff.