Old Coulsdon
vs Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown
Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown has the younger population: 17% of residents are aged 15–29, against 14% in Old Coulsdon. Homes in Old Coulsdon sold for a median of £552,000, 12% above Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown. Old Coulsdon has more green space nearby (28% within 500 m, against 14%).
People
Old Coulsdon has 9,616 residents in 3,741 households; Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown has 9,493 in 3,679. Old Coulsdon has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 22%, 7 percentage points more than Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown (Croydon: 14%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (24% and 24%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 43% of homes in Old Coulsdon and 31% in Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown. Old Coulsdon has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 80%, 9.6 percentage points more than Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown (Croydon: 55%). Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown has the higher share of private renting: 19%, 13.2 percentage points more than Old Coulsdon (Croydon: 26%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £552,000 in Old Coulsdon and £492,500 in Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown, against £425,000 across Croydon.
Surroundings
Old Coulsdon has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 28%, 14.3 percentage points more than Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown (Croydon: 14%). A typical postcode has 61 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Old Coulsdon, and 101 in Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown. The typical postcode is 365 m from the nearest school in Old Coulsdon and 516 m in Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown. The typical postcode is 1,875 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Old Coulsdon and 487 m in Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 86% of premises in Old Coulsdon and 92% in Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 53 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Old Coulsdon and 50 in Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown, 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 Oaks & Riddlesdown is one of 28 wards in Croydon, home to 9,493 people in 3,679 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £492,500 over the past two years, 16% above the Croydon median. On average 14% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — in line with the Croydon average.
More comparisons.
Old Coulsdon and Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown next to other wards of Croydon.