Old Coulsdon
vs Purley & Woodcote
Purley & Woodcote has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 14% in Old Coulsdon. Homes in Old Coulsdon sold for a median of £552,000, 19% above Purley & Woodcote. Old Coulsdon has more green space nearby (28% within 500 m, against 6%).
People
Old Coulsdon has 9,616 residents in 3,741 households; Purley & Woodcote has 16,472 in 6,400. Old Coulsdon has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 22%, 3.5 percentage points more than Purley & Woodcote (Croydon: 14%). Purley & Woodcote has the higher share of people living alone: 26%, 2.6 percentage points more than Old Coulsdon (Croydon: 28%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is semi-detached houses in Old Coulsdon (43%) and detached houses in Purley & Woodcote (34%). Old Coulsdon has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 80%, 12.8 percentage points more than Purley & Woodcote (Croydon: 55%). Purley & Woodcote has the higher share of private renting: 20%, 13.6 percentage points more than Old Coulsdon (Croydon: 26%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £552,000 in Old Coulsdon and £465,000 in Purley & Woodcote, against £425,000 across Croydon.
Surroundings
Old Coulsdon has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 28%, 21.9 percentage points more than Purley & Woodcote (Croydon: 14%). A typical postcode has 61 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Old Coulsdon, and 78 in Purley & Woodcote. The typical postcode is 365 m from the nearest school in Old Coulsdon and 497 m in Purley & Woodcote. The typical postcode is 1,875 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Old Coulsdon and 571 m in Purley & Woodcote. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 86% of premises in Old Coulsdon and 83% in Purley & Woodcote.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 53 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Old Coulsdon and 104 in Purley & Woodcote, 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.
Old Coulsdon is one of 28 wards in Croydon, home to 9,616 people in 3,741 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £552,000 over the past two years, 30% above the Croydon median. On average 28% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 98% above the Croydon average.
Purley & Woodcote is one of 28 wards in Croydon, home to 16,472 people in 6,400 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £465,000 over the past two years, 9% above the Croydon median. On average 6% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 56% below the Croydon average.
More comparisons.
Old Coulsdon and Purley & Woodcote next to other wards of Croydon.