Ashley (New Forest) vs Cowes

The average house price in Cowes is £335,058, which is 67% less than Ashley (new Forest) at £559,657. The most affordable entry point in Ashley (new Forest) is a semi-detached at £377,723, while in Cowes it is a flat at £253,949.

With 54.6 offences per 1,000 people, Ashley (new Forest) is the safer of the two – 39% lower than Cowes's 75.7 per 1,000. The most common crime category in Ashley (new Forest) is violent-crime, while in Cowes it is violent-crime.

Crime Rate by Category (per 1,000 residents)

→Both towns share the same top crime category: violent crime.

Ashley (new Forest) has 100% of schools in the top two inspection bands, compared to 100% in Cowes. Ashley (new Forest) has 2 schools in total, while Cowes has 4.

Broadband & Connectivity

Cowes offers faster average downloads at 468.4 Mbps, compared to 332.8 Mbps in Ashley (new Forest). Superfast coverage (30 Mbps+) reaches 97% of premises in Ashley (new Forest) and 97% in Cowes. Gigabit availability stands at 60.6% in Ashley (new Forest) and 92.2% in Cowes.

→Cowes is the faster of the two by 41% on average download speed (468 vs 333 Mbps).

Energy Efficiency & Running Costs

Homes in Ashley (new Forest) are more energy-efficient on average, with an EPC score of 68.5 (band C) versus 67 (band C) in Cowes. Estimated annual energy costs average £1,278 in Ashley (new Forest) and £1,290 in Cowes. 58.3% of homes in Ashley (new Forest) have an EPC rating of C or above, compared to 54.5% in Cowes.

→Ashley (new Forest) has more energy-efficient housing — 58.3% reach band C or above, vs 54.5% in the other.

Demographics & Economy

Median household income is £29,236 in Ashley (new Forest) and £27,938 in Cowes. The median age is 51.4 in Ashley (new Forest) and 50.5 in Cowes. Employment rates stand at 52.9% in Ashley (new Forest) and 48.4% in Cowes. Owner-occupancy is 74.2% in Ashley (new Forest) versus 67.6% in Cowes.

Location