Bournemouth vs Swanage

Buyers will find Bournemouth more wallet-friendly, where the average price is £347,991 versus £404,468 in Swanage. The most affordable entry point in Bournemouth is a flat at £214,865, while in Swanage it is a flat at £278,951.

With 39.7 offences per 1,000 people, Swanage is the safer of the two – 43% lower than Bournemouth's 56.9 per 1,000. The most common crime category in Bournemouth is violent-crime, while in Swanage it is violent-crime.

Crime Rate by Category (per 1,000 residents)

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

School quality favours Swanage: 100% of its schools are in the top two inspection bands, compared with 96.6% in Bournemouth.

Broadband & Connectivity

Internet users in Bournemouth enjoy 415.2 Mbps on average, while Swanage lags behind at 318.6 Mbps. Superfast coverage (30 Mbps+) reaches 98.4% of premises in Bournemouth and 95% in Swanage. Gigabit availability stands at 75.5% in Bournemouth and 57.4% in Swanage.

→Bournemouth is the faster of the two by 30% on average download speed (415 vs 319 Mbps).

Energy Efficiency & Running Costs

The average EPC rating in Bournemouth is band C (score 69.8), ahead of Swanage's band C (score 68.3). Estimated annual energy costs average £1,117 in Bournemouth and £1,375 in Swanage. 63% of homes in Bournemouth have an EPC rating of C or above, compared to 56% in Swanage.

→Bournemouth has more energy-efficient housing — 63% reach band C or above, vs 56% in the other.

Demographics & Economy

Bournemouth has a population of 196,132 while Swanage has 9,115. Median household income is £30,213 in Bournemouth and £29,709 in Swanage. The median age is 45.5 in Bournemouth and 51.1 in Swanage. Employment rates stand at 55.5% in Bournemouth and 52.1% in Swanage.

Location