Living in Dorset
Police recorded 41 crimes per 1,000 residents in Dorset 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 £3,867 per m², above the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 12.3% of households rent from the council or a housing association, below the UK average of 17.5%. About 3.1% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 33% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Dorset at a glance
| Measure | Dorset | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 12.3% | UK 17.5% | 279th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 41 | E, W & NI 82 | 310th 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 | 3.1% | GB 6.9% | 42nd quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 33% | GB 56% | 311th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 48% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £3,867 | E&W council median £3,342 | 121st highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 79% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Dorset?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 15,472 crimes in Dorset — 41 per 1,000 residents, well below the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 310th highest of 327 councils. That is 11% fewer than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (50%), criminal damage and arson (10%) and shoplifting (9%). Police also logged 5,263 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 Dorset?
Dorset ranks 279th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 169,276 households, 20,821 are social homes (12.3%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Dorset compare with the UK average?
At -5.2 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Dorset sits below the national level.
How noisy is Dorset?
In Dorset, about 3.1% 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 Dorset is the 42nd 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 Dorset?
33% of homes in Dorset are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 48% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Dorset 311th 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 Dorset
What the map's other datasets say about Dorset.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Dorset has 184 schools — 163 state-funded and 21 independent. That includes 119 primary and 28 secondary schools. Of the 86 with a published Ofsted grade, 79% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 158 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Dorset, offering about 5,571 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Dorset sits in decile 6 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 4% of its 223 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £3,867 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 Dorset 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).