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Beacon
vs Blackmore Vale

Beacon has the younger population: 14% of residents are aged 15–29, against 13% in Blackmore Vale. Homes in Beacon sold for a median of £449,000, 7% above Blackmore Vale. Blackmore Vale has more green space nearby (31% within 500 m, against 20%).

Map of Dorset with Beacon highlighted
Beacon
277 postcodes
Map of Dorset with Blackmore Vale highlighted
Blackmore Vale
180 postcodes
Map of Dorset
Dorset
city average

People

Beacon has 5,169 residents in 1,989 households; Blackmore Vale has 4,496 in 1,972. The share of residents aged 65 and over is about the same in both (30% and 30%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (24% and 24%).

5,169Residents (2021)
4,496Residents (2021)
379,579Residents (2021)
1,989Households
1,972Households
169,261Households
14.2%Aged 15–29
12.9%Aged 15–29
13.5%Aged 15–29
29.8%Aged 65 and over
30.1%Aged 65 and over
29.6%Aged 65 and over
24.3%Living alone
23.8%Living alone
30.6%Living alone

Homes and prices

In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 61% of homes in Beacon and 54% in Blackmore Vale. Beacon has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 79%, 5.5 percentage points more than Blackmore Vale (Dorset: 70%). Beacon has the higher share of private renting: 14%, 1.6 percentage points more than Blackmore Vale (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £449,000 in Beacon and £420,000 in Blackmore Vale, against £345,000 across Dorset.

£449,000Median sale price
£420,000Median sale price
£345,000Median sale price
79.4%Owner-occupied
73.9%Owner-occupied
70.4%Owner-occupied
13.5%Private renting
11.9%Private renting
16.3%Private renting
6.8%Social renting
13.3%Social renting
12.3%Social renting
60.9%Detached houses
54.1%Detached houses
40.6%Detached houses
26.4%Semi-detached houses
32.6%Semi-detached houses
23.4%Semi-detached houses
10.1%Terraced houses
9.1%Terraced houses
19.3%Terraced houses
0.3%Flats
1.3%Flats
11.6%Flats

Surroundings

Blackmore Vale has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 31%, 11.7 percentage points more than Beacon (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 5 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Beacon, and 9 in Blackmore Vale. The typical postcode is 2,231 m from the nearest school in Beacon and 2,024 m in Blackmore Vale. The typical postcode is 9,795 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Beacon and 13,716 m in Blackmore Vale. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 90% of premises in Beacon and 92% in Blackmore Vale.

19.7%Green space within 500 m
31.4%Green space within 500 m
26.4%Green space within 500 m
5Services within 15 min (median)
9Services within 15 min (median)
23Services within 15 min (median)
2.2 kmNearest school (median)
2.0 kmNearest school (median)
–Nearest school (median)
9.8 kmNearest tram or rail (median)
13.7 kmNearest tram or rail (median)
–Nearest tram or rail (median)
22Postcodes in flood risk areas
9Postcodes in flood risk areas
1,586Postcodes in flood risk areas
89.9%Gigabit broadband (premises)
91.6%Gigabit broadband (premises)
72.3%Gigabit broadband (premises)

Safety

Over 12 months, police recorded 41 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Beacon and 27 in Blackmore Vale, against 56 across Dorset. 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.

41Recorded crime per 1,000 residents
27Recorded crime per 1,000 residents
56Recorded crime per 1,000 residents

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.

Beacon

Beacon is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 5,169 people in 1,989 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £449,000 over the past two years, 30% above the Dorset median. On average 20% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 25% below the Dorset average.

Blackmore Vale

Blackmore Vale is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 4,496 people in 1,972 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £420,000 over the past two years, 22% above the Dorset median. On average 31% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 19% above the Dorset average.

More comparisons.

Beacon and Blackmore Vale next to other wards of Dorset.

Beacon vs Shaftesbury TownBeacon vs Sturminster NewtonBeacon vs Hill Forts & Upper TarrantsBeacon vs GillinghamBlackmore Vale vs Sturminster NewtonBlackmore Vale vs Stalbridge & MarnhullBlackmore Vale vs Hill Forts & Upper TarrantsAll wards of Dorset