Handforth
vs Wilmslow West and Chorley
Handforth has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 13% in Wilmslow West and Chorley. Homes in Wilmslow West and Chorley sold for a median of £500,000, 47% above Handforth. Handforth has more green space nearby (17% within 500 m, against 16%).
People
Handforth has 9,791 residents in 4,391 households; Wilmslow West and Chorley has 10,084 in 4,276. Wilmslow West and Chorley has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 22%, 3.2 percentage points more than Handforth (Cheshire East: 22%). Handforth has the higher share of people living alone: 36%, 7 percentage points more than Wilmslow West and Chorley (Cheshire East: 30%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is terraced houses in Handforth (29%) and semi-detached houses in Wilmslow West and Chorley (37%). Wilmslow West and Chorley has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 82%, 23.7 percentage points more than Handforth (Cheshire East: 72%). The share of private renting is about the same in both (14% and 14%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £340,000 in Handforth and £500,000 in Wilmslow West and Chorley, against £300,000 across Cheshire East.
Surroundings
Handforth has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 17%, 1.8 percentage points more than Wilmslow West and Chorley (Cheshire East: 15%). A typical postcode has 57 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Handforth, and 102 in Wilmslow West and Chorley. The typical postcode is 508 m from the nearest school in Handforth and 448 m in Wilmslow West and Chorley. The typical postcode is 730 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Handforth and 1,527 m in Wilmslow West and Chorley. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 93% of premises in Handforth and 85% in Wilmslow West and Chorley.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 86 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Handforth and 31 in Wilmslow West and Chorley, against 71 across Cheshire East. 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.
Handforth is one of 52 wards in Cheshire East, home to 9,791 people in 4,391 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £340,000 over the past two years, 13% above the Cheshire East median. On average 17% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 15% above the Cheshire East average.
Wilmslow West and Chorley is one of 52 wards in Cheshire East, home to 10,084 people in 4,276 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £500,000 over the past two years, 67% above the Cheshire East median. On average 16% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 3% above the Cheshire East average.
More comparisons.
Handforth and Wilmslow West and Chorley next to other wards of Cheshire East.