Melcombe Regis
vs Portland
Portland has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 16% in Melcombe Regis. Homes in Portland sold for a median of £232,500, 27% above Melcombe Regis. Portland has more green space nearby (44% within 500 m, against 4%).
People
Melcombe Regis has 4,628 residents in 2,604 households; Portland has 13,559 in 5,734. Melcombe Regis has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 25%, 2.4 percentage points more than Portland (Dorset: 30%). Melcombe Regis has the higher share of people living alone: 53%, 21.4 percentage points more than Portland (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is flats in Melcombe Regis (40%) and terraced houses in Portland (46%). Portland has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 65%, 22 percentage points more than Melcombe Regis (Dorset: 70%). Melcombe Regis has the higher share of private renting: 50%, 28.8 percentage points more than Portland (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £182,500 in Melcombe Regis and £232,500 in Portland, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Portland has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 44%, 40.2 percentage points more than Melcombe Regis (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 207 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Melcombe Regis, and 35 in Portland. The typical postcode is 949 m from the nearest school in Melcombe Regis and 791 m in Portland. The typical postcode is 502 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Melcombe Regis and 7,920 m in Portland. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 33% of premises in Melcombe Regis and 84% in Portland.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 437 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Melcombe Regis and 67 in Portland, 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.
Melcombe Regis is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 4,628 people in 2,604 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £182,500 over the past two years, 47% below the Dorset median. On average 4% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 86% below the Dorset average.
Portland is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 13,559 people in 5,734 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £232,500 over the past two years, 33% below the Dorset median. On average 44% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 67% above the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Melcombe Regis and Portland next to other wards of Dorset.