Swindon has been named the second-best council area in the South West for trick-or-treating, with two of the towns parish’s also making the regional top ten.
New research looking at the number of houses packed into residential streets has placed Swindon ahead of Bristol, Cheltenham and South Gloucestershire, making it one of the region’s most promising places for youngsters hoping to fill their sweet buckets on Halloween.
The study, carried out by SEO specialists seobacklinks.com, examined neighbourhoods across the UK to discover where children could potentially visit the most front doors without having to walk too far.
And while Plymouth took the top spot for an individual neighbourhood, Swindon performed particularly well when entire council areas were compared.
Two Swindon Neighbourhoods Make the Top Ten
Central South & Eastcott was Swindon’s highest-ranking neighbourhood, finishing ninth in the South West with 6,278 houses per square mile.
Not far behind was Central North, which secured tenth place with 6,186 houses per square mile.
Both areas benefit from having a large number of houses relatively close together, meaning children can potentially visit more homes in a shorter space of time.
For families heading out on Halloween, streets with plenty of front doors close together could mean less walking between houses and more opportunities to collect treats.
Of course, having lots of houses doesn’t guarantee that every household will be taking part, but it does give youngsters a better chance of finding participating neighbours without covering quite so much ground.
Swindon Ranks Second Across the South West
Looking beyond individual neighbourhoods, Swindon also performed strongly in the overall council area rankings.
The researchers compared where children aged five to 14 typically live, rather than simply taking an average across every neighbourhood.
Using this approach, Swindon recorded a figure of 4,080 houses per square mile, placing it second in the South West.
Only Gloucester finished higher, with 4,241 houses per square mile.
The South West’s Top Five Council Areas for Trick-or-Treating
| Position | Council area | Houses per square mile |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gloucester | 4,241 |
| 2 | Swindon | 4,080 |
| 3 | Bristol | 4,018 |
| 4 | Cheltenham | 3,660 |
| 5 | South Gloucestershire | 3,630 |
The results put Swindon ahead of several larger urban areas, suggesting that its residential neighbourhoods offer plenty of opportunities for children heading out with their Halloween buckets.
How Does Swindon Compare with the Rest of the Region?
Across the South West, Ford & Blockhouse Park in Plymouth was named the best individual neighbourhood for trick-or-treating, with 7,631 houses per square mile.
Lower Easton in Bristol followed with 7,057, while Lipson in Plymouth took third place with 6,947.
Swindon’s Central South & Eastcott and Central North neighbourhoods were the only two areas in the borough to feature in the regional top ten.
Nationally, the Haslemere Road area of Southsea in Portsmouth came first, with 13,860 houses per square mile.
Despite having some densely populated residential streets, the South West as a whole ranked tenth out of the UK’s 12 regions and nations.
How Was the Research Carried Out?
The researchers used census information to count occupied detached, semi-detached and terraced houses in neighbourhoods throughout the UK.
Flats, maisonettes and caravans were excluded, as the study focused on properties with front doors that children could potentially approach directly from the street.
The number of houses was then compared with the land area of each neighbourhood to calculate how many properties were available per square mile.
Areas with fewer than 750 houses were excluded, along with neighbourhoods where fewer than 6% of residents were aged between five and 14.
In total, 8,502 neighbourhoods across the UK met the criteria, including 682 in the South West.
The figures are based on the 2021 census for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the 2022 census for Scotland.
A Good Result for Swindon’s Halloween Streets
Oliver Weston, founder of seobacklinks.com, explained that the research focused on houses rather than flats because front doors directly accessible from the street are more practical for trick-or-treaters.
While Gloucester came out ahead in the overall council rankings, Swindon’s second-place finish and two neighbourhoods in the regional top ten show that the town has plenty of residential streets suited to Halloween activities.
For local families, the findings offer an interesting look at which parts of Swindon have the greatest concentration of houses.
Naturally, the number of homes is only part of the experience. Friendly neighbours, well-lit streets and households choosing to take part are just as important when it comes to enjoying a successful evening.
But with two neighbourhoods among the South West’s ten highest-ranking areas, Swindon’s young trick-or-treaters certainly have plenty of doors to choose from.
