Penylan
vs Plasnewydd
Plasnewydd has the younger population: 47% of residents are aged 15–29, against 20% in Penylan. Homes in Penylan sold for a median of £415,000, 62% above Plasnewydd. Penylan has more green space nearby (15% within 500 m, against 5%).
People
Penylan has 12,909 residents in 5,272 households; Plasnewydd has 18,270 in 7,719. Penylan has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 20%, 13.1 percentage points more than Plasnewydd (Cardiff: 15%). Plasnewydd has the higher share of people living alone: 39%, 7.4 percentage points more than Penylan (Cardiff: 32%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is semi-detached houses in Penylan (30%) and terraced houses in Plasnewydd (43%). Penylan has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 72%, 37.7 percentage points more than Plasnewydd (Cardiff: 58%). Plasnewydd has the higher share of private renting: 54%, 33.4 percentage points more than Penylan (Cardiff: 24%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £415,000 in Penylan and £256,500 in Plasnewydd, against £270,000 across Cardiff.
Surroundings
Penylan has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 15%, 10.1 percentage points more than Plasnewydd (Cardiff: 19%). A typical postcode has 162 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Penylan, and 342 in Plasnewydd. The typical postcode is 373 m from the nearest school in Penylan and 276 m in Plasnewydd. The typical postcode is 1,801 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Penylan and 898 m in Plasnewydd. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 87% of premises in Penylan and 96% in Plasnewydd.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 89 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Penylan and 129 in Plasnewydd, 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.
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.
Plasnewydd is one of 28 wards in Cardiff, home to 18,270 people in 7,719 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £256,500 over the past two years, 5% below the Cardiff median. On average 5% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 72% below the Cardiff average.
More comparisons.
Penylan and Plasnewydd next to other wards of Cardiff.