Blackheath
vs Cradley Heath & Old Hill
Cradley Heath & Old Hill has the younger population: 19% of residents are aged 15–29, against 18% in Blackheath. Homes in Cradley Heath & Old Hill sold for a median of £228,000, 7% above Blackheath. Cradley Heath & Old Hill has more green space nearby (15% within 500 m, against 12%).
People
Blackheath has 14,162 residents in 6,078 households; Cradley Heath & Old Hill has 14,412 in 5,987. Blackheath has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 20%, 3 percentage points more than Cradley Heath & Old Hill (Sandwell: 15%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (32% and 33%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 41% of homes in Blackheath and 38% in Cradley Heath & Old Hill. Blackheath has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 59%, 6.1 percentage points more than Cradley Heath & Old Hill (Sandwell: 54%). Cradley Heath & Old Hill has the higher share of private renting: 18%, 4.2 percentage points more than Blackheath (Sandwell: 19%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £212,450 in Blackheath and £228,000 in Cradley Heath & Old Hill, against £220,000 across Sandwell.
Surroundings
Cradley Heath & Old Hill has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 15%, 3 percentage points more than Blackheath (Sandwell: 17%). A typical postcode has 131 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Blackheath, and 121 in Cradley Heath & Old Hill. The typical postcode is 397 m from the nearest school in Blackheath and 373 m in Cradley Heath & Old Hill. The typical postcode is 732 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Blackheath and 865 m in Cradley Heath & Old Hill. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 99% of premises in Blackheath and 98% in Cradley Heath & Old Hill.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 142 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Blackheath and 89 in Cradley Heath & Old Hill, 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.
Blackheath is one of 24 wards in Sandwell, home to 14,162 people in 6,078 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £212,450 over the past two years, 3% below the Sandwell median. On average 12% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 26% below the Sandwell average.
Cradley Heath & Old Hill is one of 24 wards in Sandwell, home to 14,412 people in 5,987 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £228,000 over the past two years, 4% above the Sandwell median. On average 15% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 8% below the Sandwell average.
More comparisons.
Blackheath and Cradley Heath & Old Hill next to other wards of Sandwell.