Bestwood
vs Bulwell
Bulwell has the younger population: 19% of residents are aged 15–29, against 19% in Bestwood. Homes in Bestwood sold for a median of £180,000, 9% above Bulwell. Bulwell has more green space nearby (19% within 500 m, against 12%).
People
Bestwood has 17,065 residents in 7,369 households; Bulwell has 16,219 in 7,051. The share of residents aged 65 and over is about the same in both (14% and 15%). Bestwood has the higher share of people living alone: 36%, 1.5 percentage points more than Bulwell (Nottingham: 34%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 44% of homes in Bestwood and 40% in Bulwell. Bestwood has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 45%, 3 percentage points more than Bulwell (Nottingham: 45%). Bulwell has the higher share of private renting: 20%, 2.5 percentage points more than Bestwood (Nottingham: 29%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £180,000 in Bestwood and £165,000 in Bulwell, against £200,000 across Nottingham.
Surroundings
Bulwell has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 19%, 6.7 percentage points more than Bestwood (Nottingham: 13%). A typical postcode has 97 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Bestwood, and 96 in Bulwell. The typical postcode is 337 m from the nearest school in Bestwood and 350 m in Bulwell. The typical postcode is 1,885 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Bestwood and 555 m in Bulwell. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 100% of premises in Bestwood and 98% in Bulwell.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 133 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Bestwood and 171 in Bulwell, 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 is one of 20 wards in Nottingham, home to 16,219 people in 7,051 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £165,000 over the past two years, 18% below the Nottingham median. On average 19% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 41% above the Nottingham average.
More comparisons.
Bestwood and Bulwell next to other wards of Nottingham.