Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000989

Harwood

Harwood is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,350 residents in Bolton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bolton
8,350

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,744

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

994

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

85.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

13.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.9%

Adults with a degree or above

ONS Census 2021 · qualifications

Neighbourhoods most like this one

Closest matches elsewhere in England and Wales, across 14 Census themes. Similarity is statistical, not a recommendation, and says nothing about how anywhere feels to live in.

Little Neston, Cheshire West and Chester6,636 residents · 81.8% owned · 11.4% no carShevington, Wigan10,174 residents · 84.4% owned · 11.8% no carPoulton South, Wyre8,298 residents · 85.9% owned · 10.8% no carChester-le-Street North, County Durham7,960 residents · 77.3% owned · 17.9% no carPensby & Thingwall, Wirral7,334 residents · 84.8% owned · 12.0% no carCottingham East, East Riding of Yorkshire7,276 residents · 81.1% owned · 15.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Harwood

People, households and homes at the stated Census geography. These describe the 2021 population, not the occupants of a particular home.

Tenure

Owned85.4%
3,197 households
Private rented7.9%
294 households
Social rented6.4%
240 households
Shared ownership0.3%
13 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached46.5%
1,741 households
Detached32.9%
1,231 households
Terraced15.4%
578 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement4.5%
167 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
10 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.2%
9 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
4 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.1%
3 households
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.2%
1,543 households
2 cars or vans in household35.2%
1,318 households
No cars or vans in household13.5%
504 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10.1%
379 households
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms50.9%
1,909 households
2 bedrooms24.4%
915 households
4 or more bedrooms20.1%
754 households
1 bedroom4.5%
170 households
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household67.8%
2,539 households
One-person household29.4%
1,099 households
Other household types2.8%
105 households
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household39.4%
1,475 households
1 person in household29.3%
1,099 households
3 people in household15.7%
588 households
4 people in household11.2%
419 households
5 people in household3.4%
128 households
6 people in household0.7%
27 households
7 people in household0.2%
6 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1514.3%
1,190 residents
15–2913.2%
1,098 residents
30–4415.7%
1,307 residents
45–6427.2%
2,269 residents
65 and over29.8%
2,485 residents
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.6%
8,068 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.4%
120 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.2%
101 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.4%
37 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
24 residents
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.9%
2,395 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.5%
1,309 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications14.5%
1,025 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.7%
898 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.6%
677 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship8.4%
596 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
171 residents aged 16 and over
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)53.5%
3,783 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive44.8%
3,166 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.8%
125 residents aged 16 and over
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations25.7%
1,818 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations15%
1,059 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.1%
926 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.2%
789 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.9%
698 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.1%
644 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.4%
451 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.3%
374 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.4%
313 residents aged 16 and over
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47.2%
3,944 residents
Good health33.7%
2,814 residents
Fair health13.7%
1,143 residents
Bad health4.2%
350 residents
Very bad health1.2%
98 residents
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.1%
6,853 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.9%
1,497 residents
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension53.8%
2,016 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.5%
1,256 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.9%
407 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.7%
63 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
2 households
Harwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Each percentage uses its Census table’s own total. Rounding and source categories can affect totals. ONS Census data · OGL v3.0.

How the similarity is worked out

Alike on the Census, which is not the same as alike to live in.

Every neighbourhood is described by its shares across the Census themes above — tenure, housing, cars, household make-up, age, ethnic group, qualifications, work, health and deprivation — each theme weighted equally, which is the approach ONS takes in its own Output Area Classification. The neighbourhoods listed are the closest on those numbers, published in full rather than folded into a score. Nothing here measures schools, crime, prices or what a place is like to be in, and a close match is a statistical fact rather than a suggestion to move.

Browse every neighbourhood in Bolton

Evidence ledger

Source and date are part of the record.

Shared catalogue checked 2026-08-28: 88 candidate data layers listed. Catalogue presence is not publication approval; only separately approved public projections may be shown.