Bensham Manor
vs Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath has the younger population: 20% of residents are aged 15–29, against 20% in Bensham Manor. Homes in Thornton Heath sold for a median of £400,000, in line with Bensham Manor. Thornton Heath has more green space nearby (11% within 500 m, against 6%).
People
Bensham Manor has 16,933 residents in 6,098 households; Thornton Heath has 17,995 in 7,070. Bensham Manor has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 12%, 1.1 percentage points more than Thornton Heath (Croydon: 14%). Thornton Heath has the higher share of people living alone: 30%, 3.1 percentage points more than Bensham Manor (Croydon: 28%).
Homes and prices
In both, terraced houses are the most common type of home: 45% of homes in Bensham Manor and 34% in Thornton Heath. The share of owner-occupied homes is about the same in both (51% and 51%). Bensham Manor has the higher share of private renting: 34%, 4.9 percentage points more than Thornton Heath (Croydon: 26%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £400,000 in Bensham Manor and £400,000 in Thornton Heath, against £425,000 across Croydon.
Surroundings
Thornton Heath has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 11%, 4.8 percentage points more than Bensham Manor (Croydon: 14%). A typical postcode has 134 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Bensham Manor, and 118 in Thornton Heath. The typical postcode is 343 m from the nearest school in Bensham Manor and 301 m in Thornton Heath. The typical postcode is 678 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Bensham Manor and 708 m in Thornton Heath. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 98% of premises in Bensham Manor and 88% in Thornton Heath.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 88 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Bensham Manor and 109 in Thornton Heath, against 108 across Croydon. 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.
Bensham Manor is one of 28 wards in Croydon, home to 16,933 people in 6,098 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £400,000 over the past two years, 6% below the Croydon median. On average 6% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 58% below the Croydon average.
Thornton Heath is one of 28 wards in Croydon, home to 17,995 people in 7,070 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £400,000 over the past two years, 6% below the Croydon median. On average 11% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 24% below the Croydon average.
More comparisons.
Bensham Manor and Thornton Heath next to other wards of Croydon.