Sherborne Rural
vs Stalbridge & Marnhull
Stalbridge & Marnhull has the younger population: 11% of residents are aged 15–29, against 10% in Sherborne Rural. Homes in Sherborne Rural sold for a median of £425,000, 22% above Stalbridge & Marnhull. Sherborne Rural has more green space nearby (23% within 500 m, against 13%).
People
Sherborne Rural has 4,953 residents in 2,182 households; Stalbridge & Marnhull has 5,152 in 2,349. Stalbridge & Marnhull has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 36%, 5.3 percentage points more than Sherborne Rural (Dorset: 30%). Stalbridge & Marnhull has the higher share of people living alone: 29%, 5.1 percentage points more than Sherborne Rural (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 55% of homes in Sherborne Rural and 47% in Stalbridge & Marnhull. Stalbridge & Marnhull has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 75%, 4.2 percentage points more than Sherborne Rural (Dorset: 70%). Sherborne Rural has the higher share of private renting: 20%, 8.7 percentage points more than Stalbridge & Marnhull (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £425,000 in Sherborne Rural and £347,500 in Stalbridge & Marnhull, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Sherborne Rural has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 23%, 10.5 percentage points more than Stalbridge & Marnhull (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 5 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Sherborne Rural, and 14 in Stalbridge & Marnhull. The typical postcode is 1,350 m from the nearest school in Sherborne Rural and 700 m in Stalbridge & Marnhull. The typical postcode is 3,001 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Sherborne Rural and 5,638 m in Stalbridge & Marnhull. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 52% of premises in Sherborne Rural and 88% in Stalbridge & Marnhull.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 31 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Sherborne Rural and 35 in Stalbridge & Marnhull, 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.
Sherborne Rural is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 4,953 people in 2,182 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £425,000 over the past two years, 23% above the Dorset median. On average 23% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 12% below the Dorset average.
Stalbridge & Marnhull is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 5,152 people in 2,349 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £347,500 over the past two years, in line with the Dorset median. On average 13% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 52% below the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Sherborne Rural and Stalbridge & Marnhull next to other wards of Dorset.