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Postcode district · Orkney Islands

KW15 area guide

Who lives in KW15, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council
Orkney Islands
Region
Scotland
Population
8,725 (2024)
At a glance

What KW15 is like

The KW15 postcode district in Orkney Islands covers 364 live postcodes and is home to about 8,725 people in 4,652 households. 58.9% of households own their home, 11.7% rent privately and 23.3% are in social housing. The largest age group is 55–59, and 60.7% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for Scotland.

Scores

How KW15 compares

Headline figures for KW15, set against Scotland as a whole.

AffluenceMore
6.0/ 10

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

CrimeMore
24per 1,000

Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents in Orkney Islands a year, against 57 across Scotland.

TransportMore
3.0/ 10

Limited: 0 stations within a mile, 47 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore
3

3 schools in KW15. None has a published inspection grade.

Questions

KW15 FAQs

01
Is KW15 a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 6.0 out of 10 on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020, where 10 is the least deprived in Scotland. Transport connectivity scores 3.0 out of 10 (limited).
02
Is KW15 safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Police Scotland publishes crime by council area only. Orkney Islands recorded 24 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025-26, against 57 across Scotland.
03
Who lives in KW15?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 55–59, at 7.5% of residents. 58.9% of households own their home. The most common property type is detached (41.3%).
04
Which council covers KW15?

The local authority for KW15 is Orkney Islands.

KW15 comes under Orkney Islands in Scotland. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.
05
How well connected is KW15?

Connectivity scores 3.0 out of 10.

There are 47 bus stops within 800m and 0 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 3.0 out of 10 (limited). The nearest station is Kirkwall Shapinsay Ferry Terminal, 0.3 miles away.

Sources: Scotland's Census 2022 (NRS); 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.

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