South Balham
vs Tooting Bec
South Balham has the younger population: 30% of residents are aged 15–29, against 29% in Tooting Bec. Homes in Tooting Bec sold for a median of £650,000, 6% above South Balham. South Balham has more green space nearby (13% within 500 m, against 8%).
People
South Balham has 9,829 residents in 4,422 households; Tooting Bec has 17,485 in 6,834. Tooting Bec has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 11%, 1.5 percentage points more than South Balham (Wandsworth: 10%). South Balham has the higher share of people living alone: 34%, 9.2 percentage points more than Tooting Bec (Wandsworth: 30%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is flats in South Balham (26%) and terraced houses in Tooting Bec (46%). Tooting Bec has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 46%, 3.1 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 £615,000 in South Balham and £650,000 in Tooting Bec, against £640,000 across Wandsworth.
Surroundings
South Balham has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 13%, 5.8 percentage points more than Tooting Bec (Wandsworth: 12%). A typical postcode has 282 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in South Balham, and 357 in Tooting Bec. The typical postcode is 348 m from the nearest school in South Balham and 245 m in Tooting Bec. The typical postcode is 463 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in South Balham and 513 m in Tooting Bec. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 89% of premises in South Balham and 97% in Tooting Bec.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 73 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in South Balham and 75 in Tooting Bec, 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.
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.
Tooting Bec is one of 22 wards in Wandsworth, home to 17,485 people in 6,834 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £650,000 over the past two years, in line with the Wandsworth median. On average 8% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 34% below the Wandsworth average.
More comparisons.
South Balham and Tooting Bec next to other wards of Wandsworth.