Cranborne & Alderholt
vs St Leonards & St Ives

Cranborne & Alderholt has the younger population: 13% of residents are aged 15–29, against 10% in St Leonards & St Ives. Homes in St Leonards & St Ives sold for a median of £650,000, 55% above Cranborne & Alderholt. St Leonards & St Ives has more green space nearby (40% within 500 m, against 38%).

Cranborne & Alderholt

179 postcodes

St Leonards & St Ives

238 postcodes

Dorset

city average

People

Cranborne & Alderholt has 5,316 residents in 2,180 households; St Leonards & St Ives has 7,906 in 3,476. St Leonards & St Ives has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 39%, 14.2 percentage points more than Cranborne & Alderholt (Dorset: 30%). St Leonards & St Ives has the higher share of people living alone: 24%, 2.8 percentage points more than Cranborne & Alderholt (Dorset: 31%).

5,316Residents (2021)

7,906Residents (2021)

379,579Residents (2021)

2,180Households

3,476Households

169,261Households

13.1%Aged 15–29

10.0%Aged 15–29

13.5%Aged 15–29

25.1%Aged 65 and over

39.3%Aged 65 and over

29.6%Aged 65 and over

21.3%Living alone

24.1%Living alone

30.6%Living alone

Homes and prices

In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 55% of homes in Cranborne & Alderholt and 81% in St Leonards & St Ives. St Leonards & St Ives has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 88%, 14.6 percentage points more than Cranborne & Alderholt (Dorset: 70%). Cranborne & Alderholt has the higher share of private renting: 18%, 10.8 percentage points more than St Leonards & St Ives (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £419,500 in Cranborne & Alderholt and £650,000 in St Leonards & St Ives, against £345,000 across Dorset.

£419,500Median sale price

£650,000Median sale price

£345,000Median sale price

73.5%Owner-occupied

88.1%Owner-occupied

70.4%Owner-occupied

18.0%Private renting

7.2%Private renting

16.3%Private renting

8.3%Social renting

3.5%Social renting

12.3%Social renting

55.2%Detached houses

81.2%Detached houses

40.6%Detached houses

29.1%Semi-detached houses

5.2%Semi-detached houses

23.4%Semi-detached houses

7.5%Terraced houses

3.2%Terraced houses

19.3%Terraced houses

2.7%Flats

2.5%Flats

11.6%Flats

Surroundings

St Leonards & St Ives has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 40%, 1.9 percentage points more than Cranborne & Alderholt (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 6 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Cranborne & Alderholt, and 13 in St Leonards & St Ives. The typical postcode is 709 m from the nearest school in Cranborne & Alderholt and 1,311 m in St Leonards & St Ives. The typical postcode is 6,877 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Cranborne & Alderholt and 2,461 m in St Leonards & St Ives. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 73% of premises in Cranborne & Alderholt and 30% in St Leonards & St Ives.

38.1%Green space within 500 m

40.0%Green space within 500 m

26.4%Green space within 500 m

6Services within 15 min (median)

13Services within 15 min (median)

23Services within 15 min (median)

709 mNearest school (median)

1.3 kmNearest school (median)

–Nearest school (median)

6.9 kmNearest tram or rail (median)

2.5 kmNearest tram or rail (median)

–Nearest tram or rail (median)

20Postcodes in flood risk areas

9Postcodes in flood risk areas

1,586Postcodes in flood risk areas

72.8%Gigabit broadband (premises)

30.2%Gigabit broadband (premises)

72.3%Gigabit broadband (premises)

Safety

Over 12 months, police recorded 34 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Cranborne & Alderholt and 40 in St Leonards & St Ives, 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.

34Recorded crime per 1,000 residents

40Recorded 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.

Cranborne & Alderholt

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.

St Leonards & St Ives

St Leonards & St Ives is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 7,906 people in 3,476 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £650,000 over the past two years, 88% above the Dorset median. On average 40% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 52% above the Dorset average.

More comparisons.

Cranborne & Alderholt and St Leonards & St Ives next to other wards of Dorset.

Cranborne & Alderholt vs Verwood Cranborne & Alderholt vs West Moors & Three Legged Cross Cranborne & Alderholt vs Ferndown North St Leonards & St Ives vs West Moors & Three Legged Cross St Leonards & St Ives vs Ferndown South St Leonards & St Ives vs Ferndown North St Leonards & St Ives vs Verwood All wards of Dorset

Cranborne & Alderholtvs St Leonards & St Ives