Gillingham
vs Shaftesbury Town
Shaftesbury Town has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 13% in Gillingham. Homes in Gillingham sold for a median of £282,500, in line with Shaftesbury Town. Shaftesbury Town has more green space nearby (16% within 500 m, against 15%).
People
Gillingham has 15,526 residents in 6,961 households; Shaftesbury Town has 9,163 in 4,128. Gillingham has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 28%, 4.6 percentage points more than Shaftesbury Town (Dorset: 30%). Shaftesbury Town has the higher share of people living alone: 34%, 3.2 percentage points more than Gillingham (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is detached houses in Gillingham (42%) and terraced houses in Shaftesbury Town (30%). Gillingham has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 72%, 9.6 percentage points more than Shaftesbury Town (Dorset: 70%). Shaftesbury Town has the higher share of private renting: 19%, 2.1 percentage points more than Gillingham (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £282,500 in Gillingham and £275,000 in Shaftesbury Town, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Shaftesbury Town has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 16%, 1.2 percentage points more than Gillingham (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 23 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Gillingham, and 60 in Shaftesbury Town. The typical postcode is 671 m from the nearest school in Gillingham and 476 m in Shaftesbury Town. The typical postcode is 1,538 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Gillingham and 6,347 m in Shaftesbury Town. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 83% of premises in Gillingham and 87% in Shaftesbury Town.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 41 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Gillingham and 74 in Shaftesbury Town, 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.
Gillingham is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 15,526 people in 6,961 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £282,500 over the past two years, 18% below the Dorset median. On average 15% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 42% below the Dorset average.
Shaftesbury Town is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 9,163 people in 4,128 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £275,000 over the past two years, 20% below the Dorset median. On average 16% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 38% below the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Gillingham and Shaftesbury Town next to other wards of Dorset.