Shaftesbury Town
vs Sturminster Newton
Shaftesbury Town has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 13% in Sturminster Newton. Homes in Sturminster Newton sold for a median of £295,000, 7% above Shaftesbury Town. Sturminster Newton has more green space nearby (23% within 500 m, against 16%).
People
Shaftesbury Town has 9,163 residents in 4,128 households; Sturminster Newton has 4,633 in 2,081. Sturminster Newton has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 29%, 5.5 percentage points more than Shaftesbury Town (Dorset: 30%). Shaftesbury Town has the higher share of people living alone: 34%, 1 percentage point more than Sturminster Newton (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is terraced houses in Shaftesbury Town (30%) and detached houses in Sturminster Newton (34%). Sturminster Newton has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 64%, 1.1 percentage points more than Shaftesbury Town (Dorset: 70%). The share of private renting is about the same in both (19% and 19%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £275,000 in Shaftesbury Town and £295,000 in Sturminster Newton, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Sturminster Newton has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 23%, 6.6 percentage points more than Shaftesbury Town (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 60 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Shaftesbury Town, and 54 in Sturminster Newton. The typical postcode is 476 m from the nearest school in Shaftesbury Town and 517 m in Sturminster Newton. The typical postcode is 6,347 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Shaftesbury Town and 10,133 m in Sturminster Newton. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 87% of premises in Shaftesbury Town and 80% in Sturminster Newton.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 74 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Shaftesbury Town and 68 in Sturminster Newton, 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.
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.
Sturminster Newton is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 4,633 people in 2,081 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £295,000 over the past two years, 14% below the Dorset median. On average 23% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 13% below the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Shaftesbury Town and Sturminster Newton next to other wards of Dorset.