Bestwood
vs Bulwell Forest
Bestwood has the younger population: 19% of residents are aged 15–29, against 17% in Bulwell Forest. Homes in Bulwell Forest sold for a median of £200,000, 11% above Bestwood. Bulwell Forest has more green space nearby (12% within 500 m, against 12%).
People
Bestwood has 17,065 residents in 7,369 households; Bulwell Forest has 13,997 in 6,033. Bulwell Forest has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 21%, 6.8 percentage points more than Bestwood (Nottingham: 12%). Bestwood has the higher share of people living alone: 36%, 5.9 percentage points more than Bulwell Forest (Nottingham: 34%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is semi-detached houses in Bestwood (44%) and detached houses in Bulwell Forest (36%). Bulwell Forest has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 68%, 23.4 percentage points more than Bestwood (Nottingham: 45%). Bestwood has the higher share of private renting: 18%, 1.3 percentage points more than Bulwell Forest (Nottingham: 29%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £180,000 in Bestwood and £200,000 in Bulwell Forest, against £200,000 across Nottingham.
Surroundings
The share of land within 500 m that is green space is about the same in both (12% and 12%). A typical postcode has 97 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Bestwood, and 111 in Bulwell Forest. The typical postcode is 337 m from the nearest school in Bestwood and 342 m in Bulwell Forest. The typical postcode is 1,885 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Bestwood and 696 m in Bulwell Forest. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 100% of premises in Bestwood and 100% in Bulwell Forest.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 133 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Bestwood and 105 in Bulwell Forest, against 161 across Nottingham. 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.
Bestwood is one of 20 wards in Nottingham, home to 17,065 people in 7,369 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £180,000 over the past two years, 10% below the Nottingham median. On average 12% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 10% below the Nottingham average.
Bulwell Forest is one of 20 wards in Nottingham, home to 13,997 people in 6,033 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £200,000 over the past two years, in line with the Nottingham median. On average 12% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 6% below the Nottingham average.
More comparisons.
Bestwood and Bulwell Forest next to other wards of Nottingham.