Ferndown South
vs West Parley
Ferndown South has the younger population: 13% of residents are aged 15–29, against 11% in West Parley. Homes in West Parley sold for a median of £445,000, 11% above Ferndown South. Ferndown South has more green space nearby (26% within 500 m, against 23%).
People
Ferndown South has 8,808 residents in 3,779 households; West Parley has 3,665 in 1,599. West Parley has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 37%, 4.3 percentage points more than Ferndown South (Dorset: 30%). Ferndown South has the higher share of people living alone: 28%, 4.5 percentage points more than West Parley (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 52% of homes in Ferndown South and 88% in West Parley. West Parley has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 91%, 13.9 percentage points more than Ferndown South (Dorset: 70%). Ferndown South has the higher share of private renting: 11%, 2.6 percentage points more than West Parley (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £400,000 in Ferndown South and £445,000 in West Parley, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Ferndown South has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 26%, 3 percentage points more than West Parley (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 24 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Ferndown South, and 22 in West Parley. The typical postcode is 899 m from the nearest school in Ferndown South and 989 m in West Parley. The typical postcode is 6,655 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Ferndown South and 6,686 m in West Parley. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 55% of premises in Ferndown South and 45% in West Parley.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 48 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Ferndown South and 25 in West Parley, 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.
Ferndown South is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 8,808 people in 3,779 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £400,000 over the past two years, 16% above the Dorset median. On average 26% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — in line with the Dorset average.
West Parley is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 3,665 people in 1,599 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £445,000 over the past two years, 29% above the Dorset median. On average 23% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 12% below the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Ferndown South and West Parley next to other wards of Dorset.