Old Warley
vs Smethwick
Smethwick has the younger population: 19% of residents are aged 15–29, against 16% in Old Warley. Homes in Old Warley sold for a median of £246,250, 20% above Smethwick. Old Warley has more green space nearby (12% within 500 m, against 11%).
People
Old Warley has 12,720 residents in 5,120 households; Smethwick has 14,391 in 4,987. Old Warley has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 19%, 5.7 percentage points more than Smethwick (Sandwell: 15%). Old Warley has the higher share of people living alone: 30%, 1.4 percentage points more than Smethwick (Sandwell: 29%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is semi-detached houses in Old Warley (63%) and terraced houses in Smethwick (41%). Old Warley has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 68%, 23.6 percentage points more than Smethwick (Sandwell: 54%). Smethwick has the higher share of private renting: 25%, 11.3 percentage points more than Old Warley (Sandwell: 19%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £246,250 in Old Warley 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 (12% and 11%). A typical postcode has 76 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Old Warley, and 113 in Smethwick. The typical postcode is 333 m from the nearest school in Old Warley and 343 m in Smethwick. The typical postcode is 2,279 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Old Warley and 912 m in Smethwick. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 97% of premises in Old Warley and 96% in Smethwick.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 65 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Old Warley 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.
Old Warley is one of 24 wards in Sandwell, home to 12,720 people in 5,120 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £246,250 over the past two years, 12% above the Sandwell median. On average 12% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 29% 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.
Old Warley and Smethwick next to other wards of Sandwell.