Norwood is a contraction for “North wood”, the Great North Wood which once covered most of the area. Lower Norwood, was developed as residential housing in the mid-19th century. In the 1880s, the residents pressed to be allowed to change the name from lower Norwood to West Norwood, and that took place in 1885. Norwood Park was opened in 1911. Bombing in the Second World War destroyed most of the notable housing from earlier periods.

In Upper Norwood, Beulah Hill contains a variety of house types from Victorian semi-detached to 1930s detached homes, and 1960s townhouses. There is a popular Victorian mansion block called St Valery. There are groups of 1960 houses off Convent Wood. There are other sought-after houses in Woodfield Close. Church Road contains some council blocks as well as 1930s and Victorian semi-detached houses. Other roads off Beulah Hill, such as Hermitage and Eversley Roads, contain semi-detached houses. There are Victorian houses in the Harold Road Conservation Area which takes in the roads around Harold Road. Further north, roads off Central Hill, like Essex Grove and Gatestone Road, also have Victorian semi-detached houses. To the north is the Central Hill Estate.

West Norwood is centred on Norwood Road. There are Victorian houses in the streets around West Norwood Station. There are 1930s houses in the Eylewood and Norwood Park roads near Norwood Park. Further north, are the most sought-after houses in the area to the east of Norwood Road in streets such as Lancaster Avenue and Chatsworth Way, which contain a variety of large Victorian and Edwardian properties as well as more recent developments of smaller houses. To the west of Norwood Road in the streets joining Royal Circus, such as Knollys Road and Pyrmont Grove, there are terraces of Victorian properties as well as flat and council houses. further south larger properties in streets such as Sheffield Road, but near Crown Lane there are large areas of council housing.