Portland
vs Westham
Westham has the younger population: 17% of residents are aged 15–29, against 16% in Portland. Homes in Westham sold for a median of £257,000, 11% above Portland. Portland has more green space nearby (44% within 500 m, against 11%).
People
Portland has 13,559 residents in 5,734 households; Westham has 9,607 in 4,292. Portland has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 23%, 1.3 percentage points more than Westham (Dorset: 30%). Westham has the higher share of people living alone: 35%, 3.1 percentage points more than Portland (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is terraced houses in Portland (46%) and semi-detached houses in Westham (35%). Portland has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 65%, 7.9 percentage points more than Westham (Dorset: 70%). Portland has the higher share of private renting: 21%, 4 percentage points more than Westham (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £232,500 in Portland and £257,000 in Westham, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Portland has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 44%, 33.3 percentage points more than Westham (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 35 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Portland, and 85 in Westham. The typical postcode is 791 m from the nearest school in Portland and 364 m in Westham. The typical postcode is 7,920 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Portland and 1,245 m in Westham. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 84% of premises in Portland and 89% in Westham.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 67 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Portland and 101 in Westham, 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.
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.
Westham is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 9,607 people in 4,292 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £257,000 over the past two years, 26% below the Dorset median. On average 11% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 59% below the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Portland and Westham next to other wards of Dorset.