New Forest vs Southampton
A side-by-side comparison of the New Forest and Southamptonlocal authority areas — population, density, deprivation and age profile, from ONS Census 2021 and each nation’s Indices of Deprivation.
In short: Southampton is the more populous; council tax is lower in Southampton; New Forest has the higher share of Good/Outstanding schools.
| New Forest | Southampton | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 175,785 | 248,922 |
| Density | 234/km² | 4,990/km² |
| Deprivation | 0% in most-deprived 10% | 13% in most-deprived 10% |
| Council tax (Band D) | £2,420 | £2,381 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 96% | 82% |
| Aged under 16 | 15% | 18% |
| Aged 16–64 | 55% | 68% |
| Aged 65+ | 29% | 14% |