Bristnall
vs Smethwick
Smethwick has the younger population: 19% of residents are aged 15–29, against 19% in Bristnall. Homes in Bristnall sold for a median of £230,000, 12% above Smethwick. Smethwick has more green space nearby (11% within 500 m, against 11%).
People
Bristnall has 16,080 residents in 5,821 households; Smethwick has 14,391 in 4,987. Bristnall has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 15%, 2.1 percentage points more than Smethwick (Sandwell: 15%). Smethwick has the higher share of people living alone: 29%, 2.4 percentage points more than Bristnall (Sandwell: 29%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is semi-detached houses in Bristnall (58%) and terraced houses in Smethwick (41%). Bristnall has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 61%, 16.3 percentage points more than Smethwick (Sandwell: 54%). Smethwick has the higher share of private renting: 25%, 9.3 percentage points more than Bristnall (Sandwell: 19%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £230,000 in Bristnall and £205,000 in Smethwick, against £220,000 across Sandwell.
Surroundings
The share of land within 500 m that is green space is about the same in both (11% and 11%). A typical postcode has 115 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Bristnall, and 113 in Smethwick. The typical postcode is 364 m from the nearest school in Bristnall and 343 m in Smethwick. The typical postcode is 1,194 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Bristnall and 912 m in Smethwick. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 99% of premises in Bristnall and 96% in Smethwick.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 95 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Bristnall 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.
Bristnall is one of 24 wards in Sandwell, home to 16,080 people in 5,821 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £230,000 over the past two years, 5% above the Sandwell median. On average 11% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 34% 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.
Bristnall and Smethwick next to other wards of Sandwell.