Melcombe Regis
vs Rodwell & Wyke
Melcombe Regis has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 14% in Rodwell & Wyke. Homes in Rodwell & Wyke sold for a median of £280,000, 53% above Melcombe Regis. Rodwell & Wyke has more green space nearby (18% within 500 m, against 4%).
People
Melcombe Regis has 4,628 residents in 2,604 households; Rodwell & Wyke has 13,919 in 6,303. Rodwell & Wyke has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 27%, 2.1 percentage points more than Melcombe Regis (Dorset: 30%). Melcombe Regis has the higher share of people living alone: 53%, 20.6 percentage points more than Rodwell & Wyke (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is flats in Melcombe Regis (40%) and terraced houses in Rodwell & Wyke (31%). Rodwell & Wyke has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 67%, 24 percentage points more than Melcombe Regis (Dorset: 70%). Melcombe Regis has the higher share of private renting: 50%, 31.1 percentage points more than Rodwell & Wyke (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £182,500 in Melcombe Regis and £280,000 in Rodwell & Wyke, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Rodwell & Wyke has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 18%, 13.9 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 95 in Rodwell & Wyke. The typical postcode is 949 m from the nearest school in Melcombe Regis and 526 m in Rodwell & Wyke. The typical postcode is 502 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Melcombe Regis and 1,888 m in Rodwell & Wyke. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 33% of premises in Melcombe Regis and 80% in Rodwell & Wyke.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 437 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Melcombe Regis and 54 in Rodwell & Wyke, 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.
Rodwell & Wyke is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 13,919 people in 6,303 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £280,000 over the past two years, 19% below the Dorset median. On average 18% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 33% below the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Melcombe Regis and Rodwell & Wyke next to other wards of Dorset.