# Cardenden South west Fife. 5,115 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 19 square kilometres. Cardenden had 5,017 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). Middle area. Code S02003071. In: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland) › [Fife](https://openindex.co.uk/fife) ## Key figures - **Population: 5,017** (2021). Cardenden had 5,017 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). Joint 1,929th least populated of 9,448. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/fife/cardenden#f-population - **People in radon Affected Area squares: 0%** (2022). About 0% of people in Cardenden live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/fife/cardenden#f-radon-affected-share - **Gigabit broadband coverage: 93.0%** (January 2026). In Cardenden, 93.0% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/fife/cardenden#f-gigabit-coverage - **Claimant rate: 4.0%** (August 2026). In Cardenden, 4.0% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026 (ONS via Nomis). UK 3.9%. Source: Claimant count (Nomis), August 2026. Published 15 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/fife/cardenden#f-claimant-rate ## On the map - [Radon Affected Area by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=S02003071) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 0% of people in Cardenden live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. - [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=S02003071) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Fife. The outline is Cardenden. - [Crimes by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S02003071) (Recorded crimes and offences in Scotland · 2025/26): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Fife. The outline is Cardenden. - [Population by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=S02003071) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Cardenden had 5,017 usual residents at the census. ## Recorded crime in Cardenden Scotland publishes recorded crime by council. It has its own layers. ## How Cardenden compares Each middle area against every other middle area the measure covers. | Measure | Cardenden | Rank | Compared with | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Population | 5,017 | 6th most populated | 106 middle areas, Fife · 2021 | | People in radon Affected Area squares | 0% | joint fewest people in radon Affected Areas | 106 middle areas, Fife · 2022 | | Gigabit broadband coverage | 93.0% | 48th highest | 106 middle areas, Fife · Jan 2026 | | Claimant rate | 4.0% | joint 29th highest | 106 middle areas, Fife · Aug 2026 | ## What is the population of Cardenden? Cardenden had 5,017 usual residents at the census. Cardenden is the joint 1,929th least populated of 9,448 in the UK. ## Figures for the whole of Fife These figures are published for the whole of Fife, not for each middle area, so they describe all of Fife and not Cardenden alone. [See Fife](https://openindex.co.uk/fife) - **Average house price: £182,463** (August 2026). Fife’s average house price was £182,463 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 5.1% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026. - **Median full-time pay: £38,913** (2025). Full-time workers living in Fife earned a median of £38,913 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 162nd highest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025. - **House price to pay: 4.7×** (2025). A home in Fife costs 4.7 times local full-time pay. Joint 33rd most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026. - **Population estimate: 373,990** (2025). Fife’s population was an estimated 373,990 in mid-2025 (ONS population estimates). Down 0.2% in a year. Source: Mid-year population estimates, 2025. Published 1 October 2026. ## Cardenden in brief Cardenden had 5,017 usual residents at the census. About 0% of people in Cardenden live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. In Cardenden, 93.0% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026. In Cardenden, 4.0% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026. ## About - Type: Middle area - Code: S02003071 - Ward: [Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty †](https://openindex.co.uk/fife/ward/lochgelly-cardenden-and-benarty) - Constituency: [Glenrothes and Mid Fife †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/glenrothes-and-mid-fife) - Council: [Fife](https://openindex.co.uk/fife) - Nation: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland) - Area: 18.68 km² - People, mid-2024: 5,115* - Neighbourhoods: 7 - Output areas: 43 * People: worked out by Open Index by adding up the neighbourhood estimates inside this area. † Best fit: the ward and constituency this middle area mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow theirs. ## Next door [Thornton and Kinglassie](https://openindex.co.uk/fife/thornton-and-kinglassie), [Aberdour and Auchtertool](https://openindex.co.uk/fife/aberdour-and-auchtertool), [Lochgelly East](https://openindex.co.uk/fife/lochgelly-east), [Kirkcaldy Raith](https://openindex.co.uk/fife/kirkcaldy-raith), [Lochore and Crosshill](https://openindex.co.uk/fife/lochore-and-crosshill), [Lochgelly West and Lumphinnans](https://openindex.co.uk/fife/lochgelly-west-and-lumphinnans) ## Latest updates for Cardenden - August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026. - September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026. - Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026. - GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026. The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S02003071 ## How to cite Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/fife/cardenden, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/fife/cardenden#f-population. Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it. Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/fife/cardenden