Balham
vs South Balham
Balham has the younger population: 30% of residents are aged 15–29, against 30% in South Balham. Homes in Balham sold for a median of £752,000, 22% above South Balham. South Balham has more green space nearby (13% within 500 m, against 7%).
People
Balham has 17,709 residents in 7,410 households; South Balham has 9,829 in 4,422. The share of residents aged 65 and over is about the same in both (10% and 9%). South Balham has the higher share of people living alone: 34%, 5.9 percentage points more than Balham (Wandsworth: 30%).
Homes and prices
In both, flats are the most common type of home: 29% of homes in Balham and 26% in South Balham. Balham has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 50%, 6.6 percentage points more than South Balham (Wandsworth: 43%). The share of private renting is about the same in both (38% and 38%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £752,000 in Balham and £615,000 in South Balham, against £640,000 across Wandsworth.
Surroundings
South Balham has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 13%, 6.2 percentage points more than Balham (Wandsworth: 12%). A typical postcode has 279 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Balham, and 282 in South Balham. The typical postcode is 232 m from the nearest school in Balham and 348 m in South Balham. The typical postcode is 388 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Balham and 463 m in South Balham. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 94% of premises in Balham and 89% in South Balham.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 124 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Balham and 73 in South Balham, against 101 across Wandsworth. 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.
Balham is one of 22 wards in Wandsworth, home to 17,709 people in 7,410 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £752,000 over the past two years, 18% above the Wandsworth median. On average 7% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 38% below the Wandsworth average.
South Balham is one of 22 wards in Wandsworth, home to 9,829 people in 4,422 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £615,000 over the past two years, 4% below the Wandsworth median. On average 13% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 16% above the Wandsworth average.
More comparisons.
Balham and South Balham next to other wards of Wandsworth.