Living in Cardiff
Police recorded 99 crimes per 1,000 residents in Cardiff in the year to April 2026, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £3,094 per m², below the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 17.1% of households rent from the council or a housing association, close to the UK average of 17.5%. About 7.5% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 72% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Cardiff at a glance
| Measure | Cardiff | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 17.1% | UK 17.5% | 126th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 99 | E, W & NI 82 | 53rd highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 14 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 7.5% | GB 6.9% | 286th quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 72% | GB 56% | 47th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 60% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £3,094 | E&W council median £3,342 | 182nd highest of 314 |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Cardiff?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 35,916 crimes in Cardiff — 99 per 1,000 residents, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 53rd highest of 327 councils. That is 6% fewer than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (36%), shoplifting (14%) and public order (12%). Police also logged 5,045 incidents of anti-social behaviour (14 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 Cardiff?
Cardiff ranks 126th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 147,331 households, 25,260 are social homes (17.1%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Cardiff compare with the UK average?
At -0.4 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Cardiff sits close to the national level.
How noisy is Cardiff?
In Cardiff, about 7.5% 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 Cardiff is the 286th 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 Cardiff?
72% of homes in Cardiff are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 60% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Cardiff 47th 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 Cardiff
What the map's other datasets say about Cardiff.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Cardiff has 144 schools — 144 state-funded.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Cardiff sits in decile 6 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 28% of its 208 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £3,094 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 Cardiff on the map
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).