Bearwood’s story
No listed buildings inside Bearwood’s built-up area
0% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BearwoodDorset
This town in Dorset, South West has a population of 4,134.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Ian S · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
4,134
Census 2021 · Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council
Median home
£335K
209 sales in 3 years
Median age
42.2
21% are 65+ · Dorset 25%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
8%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
C
#22 of 30 in Dorset
Is Bearwood a good place to live?
Some subjects shine; others lag. Its weakest is cost of living (D) — the median home sold for £335,000, 6.5 years of area income. With a C overall, Bearwood sits #22 of 30 in Dorset. Set against the rest, it does better than 27% of UK towns. Where it does best is hazard risk (A). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: C+ for safety, B− for schools and B for jobs & income.
Figures: flood risk, Environment Agency · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · income, ONS · claimants, DWP.
What makes Bearwood stand out
The 2 things Bearwood does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
8% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£1,398 a month
Average private rent, 32% of what households in the area earn: more than in 98% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area.
How Bearwood grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Bearwood is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →WalkabilityAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard riskGraded on exposure to natural hazardsAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 78.1 for men, 81.3 for womenCOpen →Jobs & incomeMean household income £58,960; 2.4% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsBOpen →SafetyClose to the middle of the towns comparedC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 34% of towns in England; secondary results beat 67% of towns in EnglandB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life1.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bearwood.
History
No listed buildings in Bearwood
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Bearwood’s built-up area. 0% of its homes were built before 1919.
0listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
0%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsB−
School results in Bearwood are better than in 51% of towns in England
There is one school here; it is shown below. Key Stage 2 results at the 12 primary schools within 3 km: 58% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). 253 pupils attend Bearwood’s one primary school.
B−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bearwood Primary and Nursery SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 253 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade D
Private renting is less common in Bearwood than in Dorset’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
Just over four in five households own their home, higher than both Dorset’s towns (66%) and England’s towns (61%). Social housing holds 6% of households. Private rents average £1,398 a month across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area.
£335Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bearwood£335K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £440,000 | 82 |
| Semi-detached | £335,000 | 49 |
| Terraced | £273,500 | 64 |
| Flat or maisonette | £150,000 | 14 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,398
average private rent a month, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area
£2,400
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Fewer commuters in Bearwood walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 8%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 29% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Of the commuters living in Bearwood, 2% work in the town itself. Nearly nine in ten commuters drove, above both Dorset’s towns (76%) and England’s towns (70%). For 43% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
8%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot3%
Bus3%
Bicycle2%
43%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
£59K
mean household income, before tax
2.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 13% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Health
Disability is less common in Bearwood, 16% of residents, than in Dorset’s towns and England’s towns
Self-reported good health: 84% of Bearwood’s residents. Women here live to 81.3 on average and men to 78.1 (2019–23). One GP practice serves the town; 69% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
84%good or very good healthCHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 84%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Bearwood | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 19% | 17% |
78.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
Safety
Burglary and damage hit Bearwood harder than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 12.1 per 1,000 residents a year
225 crimes and 64 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Bearwood’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Violent crime ran at 23.1 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than Dorset’s towns (16.7) and near England’s towns (22). Violence and sexual offences accounted for 45% of recorded crime.
23.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 44% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual101
Damage & arson31
Shoplifting28
Vehicle crime22
Public order14
Other theft13
Burglary8
Other crime3
Anti-social64
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
23.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
225
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Who lives here
Bearwood has fewer young adults than Dorset’s towns or England’s towns: 9% are 15 to 24
Bearwood has a median age of 42.2. 17% are under 15, between Dorset’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Over-65s are just over a fifth of the population.
42.2median age
BearwoodDorsetEngland
Ages · share of residents
21%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Bearwood | Dorset | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9% | 11% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 28% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 21% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.7% | 6.4% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 31% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Dorset and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Splashdown Water Park and 4 more in and around Bearwood
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Bearwood. Best known first.
Water parkSplashdown Water Park2.2 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumMuseum of East Dorset4.4 km outside town, to the northwestGardenGardenBournemouth Gardens4.7 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumMuseum Of Design In Plastics3.2 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttractionWalford Mill Crafts4.8 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Splashdown Water Park: Chris Downer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of East Dorset: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bearwood
14pages on Bearwood
The big questions
SafetyC+23.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingDMedian home £335K · rent £1,398 a monthHousing72 sold in 12 months · busiest street Viscount WalkSchoolsB−1 state schoolHealthCLife expectancy 78.1 (men), 81.3 (women)Work & commuteB46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bearwood’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MerleyWest ParleyPooleFerndownWimborne MinsterBournemouthCorfe MullenBearwood
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bearwood | 4,134 | — | C | D | C+ | C |
| Merley | 5,489 | 1.9 | A | D− | A+ | A |
| West Parley | 3,665 | 2.5 | A | D− | A | A |
| Poole | 141,009 | 2.6 | C+ | D | C | C+ |
| Ferndown | 13,267 | 3 | B− | D− | A− | B+ |
| Wimborne Minster | 16,629 | 3.1 | C+ | D− | B− | A− |
| Bournemouth | 196,453 | 3.6 | C | D | D | C− |
| Corfe Mullen | 10,036 | 3.9 | A− | D− | A | A |
People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bearwood
Is Bearwood safe?
About the middle for its size: 56% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, it grades C+.
Does Bearwood flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is Bearwood expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £335,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £150,000, terraced houses £273,500, semi-detached houses £335,000 and detached houses £440,000.
About Bearwood
Town in Dorset, England
Bearwood is a built-up area of 4,134 people, in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 4,134 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- County
- Dorset
- Region
- South West
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63006666
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.