Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood
vs South Norwood
South Norwood has the younger population: 18% of residents are aged 15–29, against 16% in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood. Homes in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood sold for a median of £440,000, 29% above South Norwood. Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood has more green space nearby (22% within 500 m, against 11%).
People
Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood has 16,351 residents in 7,218 households; South Norwood has 16,447 in 7,079. Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 12%, 1.4 percentage points more than South Norwood (Croydon: 14%). South Norwood has the higher share of people living alone: 36%, 1.6 percentage points more than Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood (Croydon: 28%).
Homes and prices
In both, flats are the most common type of home: 43% of homes in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood and 39% in South Norwood. Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 55%, 13 percentage points more than South Norwood (Croydon: 55%). South Norwood has the higher share of private renting: 34%, 8.7 percentage points more than Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood (Croydon: 26%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £440,000 in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood and £340,000 in South Norwood, against £425,000 across Croydon.
Surroundings
Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 22%, 10.7 percentage points more than South Norwood (Croydon: 14%). A typical postcode has 179 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood, and 110 in South Norwood. The typical postcode is 264 m from the nearest school in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood and 270 m in South Norwood. The typical postcode is 1,113 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood and 513 m in South Norwood. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 77% of premises in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood and 86% in South Norwood.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 83 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood and 121 in South Norwood, 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.
Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood is one of 28 wards in Croydon, home to 16,351 people in 7,218 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £440,000 over the past two years, 4% above the Croydon median. On average 22% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 52% above the Croydon average.
South Norwood is one of 28 wards in Croydon, home to 16,447 people in 7,079 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £340,000 over the past two years, 20% below the Croydon median. On average 11% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 23% below the Croydon average.
More comparisons.
Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood and South Norwood next to other wards of Croydon.