Cranborne & Alderholt
vs Ferndown North
Cranborne & Alderholt has the younger population: 13% of residents are aged 15–29, against 11% in Ferndown North. Homes in Cranborne & Alderholt sold for a median of £419,500, 5% above Ferndown North. Cranborne & Alderholt has more green space nearby (38% within 500 m, against 27%).
People
Cranborne & Alderholt has 5,316 residents in 2,180 households; Ferndown North has 8,691 in 4,186. Ferndown North has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 41%, 15.7 percentage points more than Cranborne & Alderholt (Dorset: 30%). Ferndown North has the higher share of people living alone: 33%, 11.8 percentage points more than Cranborne & Alderholt (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 55% of homes in Cranborne & Alderholt and 61% in Ferndown North. Ferndown North has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 82%, 8.7 percentage points more than Cranborne & Alderholt (Dorset: 70%). Cranborne & Alderholt has the higher share of private renting: 18%, 6.3 percentage points more than Ferndown North (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £419,500 in Cranborne & Alderholt and £400,000 in Ferndown North, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Cranborne & Alderholt has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 38%, 10.7 percentage points more than Ferndown North (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 6 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Cranborne & Alderholt, and 33 in Ferndown North. The typical postcode is 709 m from the nearest school in Cranborne & Alderholt and 879 m in Ferndown North. The typical postcode is 6,877 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Cranborne & Alderholt and 5,956 m in Ferndown North. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 73% of premises in Cranborne & Alderholt and 74% in Ferndown North.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 34 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Cranborne & Alderholt and 52 in Ferndown North, 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.
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.
Cranborne & Alderholt is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 5,316 people in 2,180 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £419,500 over the past two years, 22% above the Dorset median. On average 38% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 44% above the Dorset average.
Ferndown North is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 8,691 people in 4,186 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £400,000 over the past two years, 16% above the Dorset median. On average 27% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 4% above the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Cranborne & Alderholt and Ferndown North next to other wards of Dorset.