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Charles Dickens: people, homes and local pressures

22,321 people were counted here in 2021. The figures below describe this ward; wider-area projects and proposals are labelled separately.

Electoral ward · May 2026 · E05002443

BaffinsCentral SouthseaCharles DickensCopnorCoshamDrayton and FarlingtonEastney and CraneswaterFrattonHilseaMiltonNelsonPaulsgroveSt JudeSt Thomas
Electoral wards · May 2026. Police neighbourhoods and parishes are different boundaries.

Homes rented privately

19.9%

21 March 2021 · All households

People aged 65 or over

9.9%

21 March 2021 · All usual residents

People reporting bad or very bad health

7%

21 March 2021 · All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised

Households facing two or more deprivation measures

36.2%

21 March 2021 · All households

All Census figures and how they were calculated
Charles Dickens · 2021 Census
MeasureFigureWho or what is counted
People22,321All usual residents. Published Census 2021 ward observation
Homes rented privately19.9%All households. Published Census 2021 ward observation
Homes rented from a council or housing association63.8%All households. Published Census 2021 ward observation
People aged 65 or over9.9%All usual residents. Published Census 2021 ward observation
People reporting bad or very bad health7%All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised. Published Census 2021 ward observation
People with no qualifications21.2%Residents aged 16 and over. Published Census 2021 ward observation
People with a degree or equivalent19.6%Residents aged 16 and over. Published Census 2021 ward observation
Households facing at least one deprivation measure71%All households. Published Census 2021 ward observation
Households facing two or more deprivation measures36.2%All households. Published Census 2021 ward observation

Household deprivation covers education, employment, health and housing. One or more and two or more are different measures. Census answers and boundary aggregation carry uncertainty.

Sources and methods →

What stands out in this ward?

Two of the largest differences from portsmouth unitary authority among the Census measures shown here. These describe the population in 2021, not why the differences exist.

Homes rented from a council or housing association

63.8%

Charles Dickens, compared with 18% across portsmouth unitary authority.

45.8 percentage points higher · 2021 · all households.

Households facing two or more deprivation measures

36.2%

Charles Dickens, compared with 19.4% across portsmouth unitary authority.

16.8 percentage points higher · 2021 · all households.

Crime and safety in Charles Dickens

These are crimes with a published approximate location inside the ward. They do not measure every crime or your personal risk.

5,419

Mapped crimes, excluding anti-social behaviour · latest 12 months ending Aug 2026

-4.7%

Change against the previous 12 months

729

Anti-social behaviour reports · counted separately

0298596Sept 2024Aug 2026
See the figures
Monthly mapped crimes in Charles Dickens, excluding anti-social behaviour
PeriodValue
Sept 2024525
Oct 2024550
Nov 2024529
Dec 2024459
Jan 2025500
Feb 2025365
Mar 2025443
Apr 2025432
May 2025552
Jun 2025387
Jul 2025471
Aug 2025471
Sept 2025492
Oct 2025462
Nov 2025470
Dec 2025390
Jan 2026377
Feb 2026350
Mar 2026471
Apr 2026398
May 2026491
Jun 2026462
Jul 2026539
Aug 2026517
Categories and how to read these figures

Mapped police records only; approximate locations; excludes BTP and unmapped offences. ASB is separate. Rates use Census 2021 residents, not current residents, commuters or visitors. Not a measure of personal risk.

242.8 mapped crimes per 1,000 people, using a 21 March 2021 population of 22,321. The population is a dated denominator, not an estimate of the number of people exposed to crime today.

Latest 12 months · categories
CategoryMapped crimes
Violent crime2,282
Shoplifting692
Public order559
Criminal damage arson363
Other theft338
Drugs294
Vehicle crime219
Bicycle theft146
Burglary129
Robbery127
Possession of weapons114
Other crime90
Theft from the person66
Source, boundary method and downloads →

What could change here?

These are portsmouth unitary authority responses. They are relevant context, not a claim that each service or project operates in this ward.

Weakness · Portsmouth local authority

Too few homes are reaching completion

Portsmouth delivered 308 homes against a requirement of 2,702 in the three-year housing test.

The council’s newer monitoring table reports 316 net homes in 2025/26. Its annual figures differ from the government test and have not been reconciled here. An allocation or masterplan does not by itself create homes.

Evidence and related projects

Homes delivered as a share of the requirement: 11% · HDT 2025 (2022/23–2024/25) · Portsmouth. Delivery fell well short of the government’s three-year requirement. Published measurement; homes include communal-accommodation equivalents, displayed rounded as in the official table. Consequence: Presumption.

Homes delivered over three years: 308 · HDT 2025 (2022/23–2024/25) · Portsmouth. The published delivery test counts 308 homes against a requirement of 2,702. Published measurement; homes include communal-accommodation equivalents, displayed rounded as in the official table. Consequence: Presumption.

Net homes added in council monitoring: 316 · 2025/26 · Portsmouth local authority. The latest council monitoring year is newer than the government’s three-year test. Council monitoring series, not the government Housing Delivery Test. Published annual components differ; no reconciliation is inferred.

Households in temporary accommodation: 608 · 31 March 2026 · Portsmouth. These households did not have settled housing at the end of March. Statutory homelessness administrative data. Quarterly assessment flows and point-in-time temporary accommodation are different measures. The denominator is the published household estimate, not population. National counts are rounded; suppressed cells are not zero.

Children in temporary accommodation: 612 · 31 March 2026 · Portsmouth. Children are affected as well as adults; this is a point-in-time count. Statutory homelessness administrative data. Quarterly assessment flows and point-in-time temporary accommodation are different measures. The denominator is the published household estimate, not population. National counts are rounded; suppressed cells are not zero.

City Centre North — former Tricorn and Sainsbury’s sites →Tipner West →

Threat · Portsmouth local authority

Housing costs leave less for daily life

Average private rent was £1,368 a month in August 2026; the 2025 middle sale price was 7.22 times residents’ full-time annual pay.

The pay comparison concerns individuals, not household mortgage eligibility. It differs from the 6.70 ratio for jobs based here. High costs and low incomes need separate responses.

Evidence and related projects

Average monthly private rent: 1,368 · August 2026 · Portsmouth. Rent is an ongoing household cost, before bills. Average monthly private rent, all property types, ONS Price Index of Private Rents.

House price compared with residents’ annual pay: 7.2 · 2025 · Portsmouth. The middle sale price was 7.22 times the middle full-time resident salary. Median price paid for properties divided by median gross annual full-time employee earnings of residents. This is not a household mortgage multiple, workplace earnings ratio or ratio computed from the monthly house-price index.

House price compared with pay for jobs in the city: 6.7 · 2025 · Portsmouth. This measures jobs located here, including people who commute in. Published ONS median affordability ratio. Median house sale price divided by median gross annual full-time employee earnings of people working in the area. This differs from residence-based earnings and is not a household mortgage multiple. Use the annual published ratio, not a mix of differently dated house prices and earnings.

Children in low-income families after housing costs: 31% · FYE 2025 · Portsmouth. About three in ten children were below the relative low-income threshold. Children aged under 16 in relative low-income families; income below 60% of the contemporary median. DWP calibrates to HBAI. Disclosure control means ward totals may not equal city totals. FYE 2025 rates use mid-2024 population denominators; the tables use May 2024 ward boundaries. BHC and AHC are distinct measures. Historical values in this release have been revised.

Households in fuel poverty: 10.9% · 2024 · Portsmouth. These households meet the official low-income and poor-energy-efficiency definition. Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) measure. Modelled official statistics in development; suitable for broad comparisons, not detailed year-to-year trends. Local figures are 2024 estimates, not national 2025 projections.

City Centre North — former Tricorn and Sainsbury’s sites →

Weakness · Portsmouth local authority

Shared housing needs clearer quality measures

The combined register has 3,125 records; 3,107 are in licensed categories.

Rooms can help people find somewhere to live. Register size alone cannot tell us whether homes are safe or complaints are resolved. Repeated addresses also prevent treating every record as a different home.

Evidence and related projects

Records on the combined shared-housing register: 3,125 · council combined HMO register, September 2026 · Portsmouth. The 3,125 records include 3,107 in licensed categories. Repeated addresses mean records are not unique homes. Records on the council's combined HMO register (3,107 in licensed categories). Portsmouth local authority.

Projects affecting this area

Proposed · evidence dated 2026-10-17

City Centre North — former Tricorn and Sainsbury’s sites

October 2026 examination evidence identifies application 22/01243/CS3 for phased development of up to 2,300 homes and non-residential space. The application’s decision and delivery must be checked separately.

Portsmouth South · Portsmouth City Council (landowner and planning authority)

Latest evidence: Council examination library lists PCC41 City Centre North Masterplan, October 2026.

Next thing to check: Check the published decision and conditions for application 22/01243/CS3, then the funded delivery stages. A masterplan is not a construction start.

Funding, expected benefit and evidence

Budget: At least £16.1m of land assembly. Evidence: Published. Funder: Portsmouth City Council capital — land assembly. A development partner is still required for the scheme itself.

What success would mean: No completed housing or employment outcome is claimed for this allocation.

A stated aim is not proof that the benefit has happened.

Local area connection

Council site assessment CD17 explicitly names Charles Dickens ward.

This is the council site association; later scheme boundaries, roads and benefits may extend beyond the assessed area.

Charles Dickens →

Portsmouth Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment: CD17 and NE19 ward fields ↗ · checked 2026-10-17

Practical help and responsible organisations →