Bearwood
vs Smethwick
Smethwick has the younger population: 19% of residents are aged 15–29, against 19% in Bearwood. Homes in Bearwood sold for a median of £220,000, 7% above Smethwick. Bearwood has more green space nearby (13% within 500 m, against 11%).
People
Bearwood has 15,011 residents in 6,096 households; Smethwick has 14,391 in 4,987. The share of residents aged 65 and over is about the same in both (13% and 13%). Bearwood has the higher share of people living alone: 31%, 2.7 percentage points more than Smethwick (Sandwell: 29%).
Homes and prices
In both, terraced houses are the most common type of home: 57% of homes in Bearwood and 41% in Smethwick. Bearwood has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 54%, 9.7 percentage points more than Smethwick (Sandwell: 54%). Bearwood has the higher share of private renting: 32%, 7.4 percentage points more than Smethwick (Sandwell: 19%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £220,000 in Bearwood and £205,000 in Smethwick, against £220,000 across Sandwell.
Surroundings
Bearwood has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 13%, 1.9 percentage points more than Smethwick (Sandwell: 17%). A typical postcode has 165 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Bearwood, and 113 in Smethwick. The typical postcode is 290 m from the nearest school in Bearwood and 343 m in Smethwick. The typical postcode is 2,146 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Bearwood and 912 m in Smethwick. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 97% of premises in Bearwood and 96% in Smethwick.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 96 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Bearwood and 86 in Smethwick, against 106 across Sandwell. 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.
Bearwood is one of 24 wards in Sandwell, home to 15,011 people in 6,096 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £220,000 over the past two years, in line with the Sandwell median. On average 13% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 23% below the Sandwell average.
Smethwick is one of 24 wards in Sandwell, home to 14,391 people in 4,987 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £205,000 over the past two years, 7% below the Sandwell median. On average 11% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 34% below the Sandwell average.
More comparisons.
Bearwood and Smethwick next to other wards of Sandwell.