Stalbridge & Marnhull
vs Sturminster Newton
Sturminster Newton has the younger population: 13% of residents are aged 15–29, against 11% in Stalbridge & Marnhull. Homes in Stalbridge & Marnhull sold for a median of £347,500, 18% above Sturminster Newton. Sturminster Newton has more green space nearby (23% within 500 m, against 13%).
People
Stalbridge & Marnhull has 5,152 residents in 2,349 households; Sturminster Newton has 4,633 in 2,081. Stalbridge & Marnhull has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 36%, 7.2 percentage points more than Sturminster Newton (Dorset: 30%). Sturminster Newton has the higher share of people living alone: 33%, 3.8 percentage points more than Stalbridge & Marnhull (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 47% of homes in Stalbridge & Marnhull and 34% in Sturminster Newton. Stalbridge & Marnhull has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 75%, 11.2 percentage points more than Sturminster Newton (Dorset: 70%). Sturminster Newton has the higher share of private renting: 19%, 8 percentage points more than Stalbridge & Marnhull (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £347,500 in Stalbridge & Marnhull 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%, 10.4 percentage points more than Stalbridge & Marnhull (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 14 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Stalbridge & Marnhull, and 54 in Sturminster Newton. The typical postcode is 700 m from the nearest school in Stalbridge & Marnhull and 517 m in Sturminster Newton. The typical postcode is 5,638 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Stalbridge & Marnhull and 10,133 m in Sturminster Newton. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 88% of premises in Stalbridge & Marnhull and 80% in Sturminster Newton.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 35 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Stalbridge & Marnhull 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.
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.
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.
Stalbridge & Marnhull and Sturminster Newton next to other wards of Dorset.