Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000999

Central Bolton

Central Bolton is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,530 residents in Bolton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bolton
8,530

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,637

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,643.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

20.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

54.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

21.7%

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.

Elswick South, Newcastle upon Tyne5,536 residents · 15.7% owned · 59.7% no carPendleton, Salford5,686 residents · 11.4% owned · 58.3% no carOldham Town North, Oldham9,134 residents · 20.0% owned · 56.4% no carRotherham Central, Rotherham7,452 residents · 27.9% owned · 49.3% no carSculcoates, Kingston upon Hull, City of8,549 residents · 22.4% owned · 55.5% no carFratton West, Portsmouth5,312 residents · 14.0% owned · 55.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Central Bolton

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

Tenure

Social rented54.9%
1,996 households
Private rented23.7%
863 households
Owned20%
726 households
Lives rent free1.1%
40 households
Shared ownership0.3%
12 households
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement50.5%
1,836 households
Terraced27.2%
989 households
Semi-detached10.6%
387 households
Detached4.5%
165 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse3.4%
123 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.5%
54 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.3%
49 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.9%
32 households
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household54.4%
1,977 households
1 car or van in household35%
1,274 households
2 cars or vans in household8.7%
317 households
3 or more cars or vans in household1.8%
67 households
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms40.1%
1,458 households
1 bedroom33.5%
1,219 households
3 bedrooms18.1%
657 households
4 or more bedrooms8.3%
301 households
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household48.8%
1,775 households
Single family household44.6%
1,623 households
Other household types6.5%
237 households
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household48.8%
1,775 households
2 people in household21.3%
774 households
3 people in household10.9%
396 households
4 people in household8.2%
297 households
5 people in household5.2%
188 households
6 people in household3.1%
112 households
7 people in household1.4%
50 households
8 or more people in household1.2%
43 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.7%
1,683 residents
15–2923.5%
2,004 residents
30–4422.1%
1,885 residents
45–6421.7%
1,849 residents
65 and over13%
1,110 residents
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White47.9%
4,086 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh29.5%
2,516 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African13.5%
1,154 residents
Other ethnic group6.4%
544 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.7%
234 residents
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications33.5%
2,259 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above21.7%
1,464 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications13.5%
913 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications11.8%
796 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.6%
784 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications4%
273 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.9%
261 residents aged 16 and over
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive51.9%
3,505 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)43.9%
2,960 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student4.2%
283 residents aged 16 and over
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed25%
1,687 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations18.5%
1,249 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students12.5%
844 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.5%
841 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.3%
628 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations7.4%
501 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.2%
485 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.9%
262 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations3.7%
252 residents aged 16 and over
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.5%
3,708 residents
Good health30.8%
2,627 residents
Fair health15.8%
1,351 residents
Bad health6.9%
591 residents
Very bad health3%
253 residents
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act76.2%
6,502 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act23.8%
2,028 residents
Central Bolton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension35.6%
1,293 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions27.5%
998 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension24.6%
894 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions11.9%
432 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
18 households
Central Bolton · 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.