Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001000

Tonge

Tonge is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,178 residents in Bolton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bolton
9,178

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,065

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,374

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

54.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

30.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

23.9%

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.

Accrington North East, Hyndburn12,511 residents · 57.4% owned · 30.9% no carFailsworth West, Oldham6,787 residents · 47.4% owned · 36.8% no carWigan South, Wigan9,029 residents · 49.5% owned · 31.8% no carHucknall Town, Ashfield9,301 residents · 54.0% owned · 31.7% no carFailsworth East, Oldham7,458 residents · 61.4% owned · 29.9% no carHeywood Town, Rochdale10,321 residents · 44.6% owned · 37.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Tonge

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

Tenure

Owned54.7%
2,224 households
Private rented29.4%
1,195 households
Social rented15.5%
630 households
Lives rent free0.2%
8 households
Shared ownership0.2%
8 households
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced52.9%
2,150 households
Semi-detached27.3%
1,111 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement10.4%
423 households
Detached4.6%
187 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits3.6%
148 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.8%
34 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
11 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household46.2%
1,877 households
No cars or vans in household30.7%
1,247 households
2 cars or vans in household19%
771 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.2%
171 households
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms40%
1,626 households
2 bedrooms38.1%
1,548 households
1 bedroom12.7%
518 households
4 or more bedrooms9.2%
373 households
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household56.7%
2,306 households
One-person household37.2%
1,513 households
Other household types6.1%
246 households
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household37.2%
1,513 households
2 people in household32.2%
1,308 households
3 people in household14.5%
590 households
4 people in household9.9%
401 households
5 people in household3.5%
141 households
6 people in household1.6%
64 households
8 or more people in household0.6%
25 households
7 people in household0.6%
23 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.9%
1,643 residents
15–2918.1%
1,662 residents
30–4420.6%
1,890 residents
45–6425.3%
2,324 residents
65 and over18.1%
1,659 residents
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White77.7%
7,131 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh15.1%
1,385 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4%
364 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.2%
203 residents
Other ethnic group1%
94 residents
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications25.3%
1,882 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above23.9%
1,777 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17%
1,263 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.7%
1,019 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.8%
801 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.7%
497 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
201 residents aged 16 and over
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)57.3%
4,266 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive40.5%
3,014 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
160 residents aged 16 and over
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations17.9%
1,329 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.8%
1,103 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed13.7%
1,020 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.6%
1,009 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12%
892 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.3%
695 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.5%
482 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations6.3%
467 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6%
443 residents aged 16 and over
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.2%
3,970 residents
Good health34%
3,118 residents
Fair health15.6%
1,429 residents
Bad health5.7%
521 residents
Very bad health1.5%
142 residents
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act78.8%
7,231 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act21.2%
1,947 residents
Tonge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension40.9%
1,662 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.8%
1,415 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions19.1%
775 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.9%
199 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
14 households
Tonge · 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.