Dorchester East
vs Dorchester West
Dorchester West has the younger population: 15% of residents are aged 15–29, against 15% in Dorchester East. Homes in Dorchester West sold for a median of £300,000, 3% above Dorchester East. Dorchester West has more green space nearby (15% within 500 m, against 13%).
People
Dorchester East has 8,691 residents in 4,052 households; Dorchester West has 8,595 in 3,969. The share of residents aged 65 and over is about the same in both (27% and 27%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (37% and 37%).
Homes and prices
In both, terraced houses are the most common type of home: 29% of homes in Dorchester East and 32% in Dorchester West. Dorchester East has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 66%, 3.6 percentage points more than Dorchester West (Dorset: 70%). Dorchester West has the higher share of private renting: 19%, 1.9 percentage points more than Dorchester East (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £290,000 in Dorchester East and £300,000 in Dorchester West, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Dorchester West has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 15%, 1.4 percentage points more than Dorchester East (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 124 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Dorchester East, and 143 in Dorchester West. The typical postcode is 506 m from the nearest school in Dorchester East and 626 m in Dorchester West. The typical postcode is 756 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Dorchester East and 600 m in Dorchester West. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 92% of premises in Dorchester East and 89% in Dorchester West.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 54 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Dorchester East and 86 in Dorchester West, 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.
Dorchester East is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 8,691 people in 4,052 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £290,000 over the past two years, 16% below the Dorset median. On average 13% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 49% below the Dorset average.
Dorchester West is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 8,595 people in 3,969 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £300,000 over the past two years, 13% below the Dorset median. On average 15% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 44% below the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Dorchester East and Dorchester West next to other wards of Dorset.