# Downlands & Forest North

North west New Forest. About 3,406 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 91 square kilometres.

Downlands & Forest North had 3,440 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021).

Ward. Code E05014777. In: [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/south-east) › [New Forest](https://openindex.co.uk/new-forest)

## Key figures

- **Population: 3,440** (2021). Downlands & Forest North had 3,440 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021). 1,487th least populated of 8,397. 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/new-forest/ward/downlands-and-forest-north#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 18%** (2022). About 18% of people in Downlands & Forest North 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/new-forest/ward/downlands-and-forest-north#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 70.5%** (January 2026). In Downlands & Forest North, 70.5% 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/new-forest/ward/downlands-and-forest-north#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 1.6%** (August 2026). In Downlands & Forest North, 1.6% 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/new-forest/ward/downlands-and-forest-north#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=E05014777) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 18% of people in Downlands & Forest North 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=E05014777) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of New Forest. The outline is Downlands & Forest North.
- [Crime and ASB by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/recorded-crime?place=E05014777) (Police recorded crime and outcomes (data.police.uk) · August 2026): Police recorded 8 crimes and anti-social behaviour incidents in Downlands & Forest North in August 2026.
- [Population by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=E05014777) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Downlands & Forest North had 3,440 usual residents at the census.

## How Downlands & Forest North compares

Each ward against every other ward the measure covers.

| Measure | Downlands & Forest North | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 3,440 | least populated | 26 wards, New Forest · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 18% | 11th most people in radon Affected Areas | 26 wards, New Forest · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 70.5% | 8th lowest | 26 wards, New Forest · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 1.6% | joint 3rd lowest | 26 wards, New Forest · Aug 2026 |

## Is Downlands & Forest North safe? What police records show

In the 12 months to August 2026, police recorded crimes and anti-social behaviour in Downlands & Forest North at a rate of 45.1 per 1,000 people.
That compares with 58.4 per 1,000 people across New Forest.
Across England as a whole, the recorded crime rate was 96.3 per 1,000 people.
In August 2026 alone, 8 cases of crime and anti-social behaviour were recorded in Downlands & Forest North.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the most common types were violence and sexual offences (40), other crime (27) and burglary (20).
Worked out by Open Index from police.uk crime records and ONS and NISRA population estimates.
Rates are per resident, so places that many people work in or visit, such as Westminster, the City of London and other city centres, have far higher rates than their residents alone would suggest.

## Figures for the whole of New Forest

These figures are published for the whole of New Forest, not for each ward, so they describe all of New Forest and not Downlands & Forest North alone. [See New Forest](https://openindex.co.uk/new-forest)

- **Average house price: £384,564** (August 2026). New Forest’s average house price was £384,564 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Down 0.2% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £38,571** (2025). Full-time workers living in New Forest earned a median of £38,571 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 173rd highest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 10.0×** (2025). A home in New Forest costs 10.0 times local full-time pay. Joint 52nd least affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Deprivation score: 12.9** (2025). New Forest has a deprivation score of 12.9 in the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG). 61st least deprived of 296. Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025, 2025. Published 30 October 2025.

## Downlands & Forest North in brief

Downlands & Forest North had 3,440 usual residents at the census.
About 18% of people in Downlands & Forest North live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In Downlands & Forest North, 70.5% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In Downlands & Forest North, 1.6% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Ward
- Code: E05014777
- Constituency: [New Forest West †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/new-forest-west)
- Council: [New Forest](https://openindex.co.uk/new-forest)
- Region: [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/south-east)
- Nation: [England](https://openindex.co.uk/england)
- Area: 90.73 km²
- People, mid-2024: 3,406*
- Neighbourhoods: 2
- Output areas: 13

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the constituency this ward mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow it.

## Next door

[Fordingbridge, Godshill & Hyde](https://openindex.co.uk/new-forest/ward/fordingbridge-godshill-and-hyde), [Downton & Ebble Valley](https://openindex.co.uk/wiltshire/ward/downton-and-ebble-valley), [Cranborne & Alderholt](https://openindex.co.uk/dorset/ward/cranborne-and-alderholt), [Fovant & Chalke Valley](https://openindex.co.uk/wiltshire/ward/fovant-and-chalke-valley), [Cranborne Chase](https://openindex.co.uk/dorset/ward/cranborne-chase), [Redlynch & Landford](https://openindex.co.uk/wiltshire/ward/redlynch-and-landford)

## Latest updates for Downlands & Forest North

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Dental practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/E05014777

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/new-forest/ward/downlands-and-forest-north, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/new-forest/ward/downlands-and-forest-north#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/new-forest/ward/downlands-and-forest-north