Living in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Police recorded 65 crimes per 1,000 residents in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in the year to April 2026, well below the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £4,026 per m², above the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 11.0% of households rent from the council or a housing association, below the UK average of 17.5%. About 6.1% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 67% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole at a glance
| Measure | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 11.0% | UK 17.5% | 316th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 65 | E, W & NI 82 | 195th highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 22 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 6.1% | GB 6.9% | 223rd quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 67% | GB 56% | 66th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 51% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £4,026 | E&W council median £3,342 | 109th highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 93% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 26,089 crimes in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole — 65 per 1,000 residents, well below the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 195th highest of 327 councils. That is 9% fewer than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (42%), shoplifting (12%) and criminal damage and arson (9%). Police also logged 8,850 incidents of anti-social behaviour (22 per 1,000 residents).
Rates are per resident, so council areas with busy city centres, shopping or nightlife districts show higher rates than residents alone would suggest. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ranks 316th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 173,854 households, 19,113 are social homes (11.0%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole compare with the UK average?
At -6.5 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole sits below the national level.
How noisy is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?
In Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, about 6.1% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB Lden or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is the 223rd quietest of 363 councils mapped.
Estimated from the official strategic noise maps: the share of each census area at 65 dB or more, weighted by its households. See noisy roads and railways on the map →
How close are parks in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?
67% of homes in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 51% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 66th of 363 councils for access to a park.
Straight-line distance from the centre of each census area to the edge of the nearest site in OS Open Greenspace, weighted by households. See parks and play spaces on the map →
Schools, prices and more in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
What the map's other datasets say about Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has 117 schools — 106 state-funded and 11 independent. That includes 66 primary and 22 secondary schools. Of the 41 with a published Ofsted grade, 93% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 179 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, offering about 6,941 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole sits in decile 6 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 10% of its 240 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £4,026 per m², from Land Registry sold prices matched to EPC floor areas.
Broadband
Median available download speed is about 1,000 Mbit/s — what can be ordered, not what residents have bought (Ofcom Connected Nations).
Explore Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole on the map
- House prices £/m² in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Crime & anti-social behaviour in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Noise & sound pollution in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Parks & play spaces in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Deprivation in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Broadband speeds in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); data.police.uk, May 2025 to April 2026 (crime); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).