Postcode district · Bournemouth

BH4 area guide

Who lives in BH4, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Region: South West
Population: 13,974 (2024)

BH4Postcode district · Bournemouth

At a glance

What BH4 is like

The BH4 postcode district in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole covers 231 live postcodes and is home to about 13,974 people in 7,480 households. 55.3% of households own their home, 39.1% rent privately and 5.2% are in social housing. The largest age group is 25–29, and 55% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is well below the England and Wales average. Homes in BH4 sold for a median of £260,000 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How BH4 compares

Headline figures for BH4, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

6.8/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

5/ 10

Around the middle: 20.9 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£260,000

Median over 167 sales in BH4, −2.8% on the year before.

TransportMore

5.0/ 10

Good: 1 station within a mile, 60 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

1 school in BH4. None has a published inspection grade.

Household incomeMore

£48,240

Average annual income before tax, higher than 37% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where BH4 differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
39.1% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
An older population
27.2% of residents are 65 or over, against 18.4% across England.

Questions

BH4 FAQs

Is BH4 a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 6.8 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 20.9 per 1,000 people a year, band 5 of 10 nationally. Transport connectivity scores 5.0 out of 10 (good).

How much does a house cost in BH4?

The median sale price over the last year was £260,000.

Homes in BH4 sold for a median of £260,000 across 167 sales in the year to August 2026, −2.8% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is BH4 safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 20.9 offences per 1,000 people a year around BH4, well below the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 5 of 10.

Who lives in BH4?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 25–29, at 8.5% of residents. 55.3% of households own their home. The most common property type is purpose-built flat (58.2%).

Which council covers BH4?

The local authority for BH4 is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

BH4 comes under Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in the South West. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is BH4?

Connectivity scores 5.0 out of 10.

There are 60 bus stops within 800m and 1 station or tram stop within a mile, scoring 5.0 out of 10 (good). The nearest station is Branksome Rail Station, 1 mile away.

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

Explore