Side-by-side comparison

SW6 vs SW12

Walham Green, Hammersmith and Fulham compared with Balham, Wandsworth, scored on the things families actually care about.

The short verdict

SW6 (Walham Green) wins on green space, family life, giving it the higher Family Score. SW12 still has its own appeal; see the breakdown below.

Category by category

Every score is a percentile within our London cohort: higher is better. Trophies mark the area that's clearly ahead (within 3 points we call it a tie).

Safety

Inverted crime rate from data.police.uk, latest available month.

SW6
69
SW12
86
Green space

Access to parks and open space within walking distance.

SW6
100
SW12
50
Family life

GP surgeries, libraries, supermarkets and parks within 1km.

SW6
80
SW12
65
Commute

Fastest door-to-door time to one of six central hubs (Waterloo, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Paddington, Victoria), arriving by 08:15. Source: TfL Journey Planner.

SW6
Good · 25–35 min
26 minto Paddington
Faster commute
SW12
Good · 25–35 min
31 minto Waterloo
Council Tax (Band D)

Annual bill incl. GLA precept, 2025/26. Where an outcode straddles boroughs, every touching borough is listed.

SW6
Hammersmith and Fulham£1,420
SW12
Wandsworth£991
Lambeth£2,030
Lower bill
Family density

% of households with dependent children at the representative LSOA. Source: ONS Census 2021 (TS003). Ranked within the SettleWithUs London cohort.

SW6
High · 28–34%
31.9%of households with kids
More family-dense
SW12
Very low · Under 16%
14.8%of households with kids

What's within walking distance

Raw counts within 1km, useful when the percentile scores look close but the on-the-ground feel isn't.

SW6
Parks
6
GP surgeries
7
Libraries
0
Supermarkets
19
Crimes/mo
0
SW12
Parks
3
GP surgeries
6
Libraries
0
Supermarkets
11
Crimes/mo
0

Generated 12 October 2026.

How we score SW6 and SW12

The short answer to the questions families ask us most when comparing two areas.

How is the overall Family Score for SW6 and SW12 calculated?
The overall Family Score is a weighted blend of four sub-scores: safety, green space, family life (GP surgeries, libraries, supermarkets, parks within 1km) and commute. Safety carries the most weight, because it's what most families ask about first. School catchments are shown separately via School Owl. Each sub-score is a percentile within our London cohort, so a 90 means "top 10% of London postcodes we've scored", not an absolute rating.
What does "better for families" actually mean here?
It means the area scores higher on the blend of factors most families weigh when relocating with children: neighbourhood safety, access to parks and green space, and everyday family infrastructure like GP surgeries and supermarkets within walking distance. It's not a verdict on culture, nightlife, or whether you'll personally feel at home. Those are subjective and we don't pretend to score them.
Where does the data come from?
School catchment guidance is powered by School Owl. Crime is from data.police.uk, latest available month. Parks, GP surgeries, libraries and supermarkets are counted from OpenStreetMap within a 1km radius of the postcode centroid. Commute times come from TfL Journey Planner — door-to-door from the representative postcode to six central hubs, arriving by 08:15 on a weekday.
Why is the difference between SW6 and SW12 sometimes only a few points?
Because they're scored on the same London-wide curve. Two neighbouring postcodes often share the same schools, the same green space, and the same crime patterns, so their scores end up close. We call any gap under 3 points a tie. Within that range, the right pick depends on which trade-off matters more to your family.

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