Bowerhill
vs Melksham East
Melksham East has the younger population: 18% of residents are aged 15–29, against 16% in Bowerhill. Homes in Bowerhill sold for a median of £325,000, 12% above Melksham East. Melksham East has more green space nearby (17% within 500 m, against 13%).
People
Bowerhill has 4,330 residents in 1,764 households; Melksham East has 5,243 in 2,055. Bowerhill has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 19%, 7 percentage points more than Melksham East (Wiltshire: 22%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (22% and 22%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is detached houses in Bowerhill (49%) and semi-detached houses in Melksham East (37%). Bowerhill has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 76%, 1.9 percentage points more than Melksham East (Wiltshire: 67%). Melksham East has the higher share of private renting: 13%, 1.6 percentage points more than Bowerhill (Wiltshire: 17%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £325,000 in Bowerhill and £290,000 in Melksham East, against £320,000 across Wiltshire.
Surroundings
Melksham East has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 17%, 4.5 percentage points more than Bowerhill (Wiltshire: 19%). A typical postcode has 41 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Bowerhill, and 65 in Melksham East. The typical postcode is 379 m from the nearest school in Bowerhill and 548 m in Melksham East. The typical postcode is 3,008 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Bowerhill and 1,956 m in Melksham East. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 81% of premises in Bowerhill and 96% in Melksham East.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 50 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Bowerhill and 24 in Melksham East, against 62 across Wiltshire. 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.
Bowerhill is one of 98 wards in Wiltshire, home to 4,330 people in 1,764 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £325,000 over the past two years, in line with the Wiltshire median. On average 13% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 33% below the Wiltshire average.
Melksham East is one of 98 wards in Wiltshire, home to 5,243 people in 2,055 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £290,000 over the past two years, 9% below the Wiltshire median. On average 17% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 9% below the Wiltshire average.
More comparisons.
Bowerhill and Melksham East next to other wards of Wiltshire.