Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001002

Breightmet South & Darcy Lever

Breightmet South & Darcy Lever is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,728 residents in Bolton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bolton
9,728

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,073

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,537

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

66.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

22.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

22.8%

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.

Wyke, Bradford9,627 residents · 62.5% owned · 27.4% no carBlack Lane, Bury7,675 residents · 72.2% owned · 19.8% no carDenton East, Tameside5,634 residents · 66.0% owned · 24.8% no carHeywood Heap Bridge & Darnhill, Rochdale8,981 residents · 55.1% owned · 28.0% no carHarle Syke & Lanehead, Burnley9,113 residents · 74.3% owned · 19.1% no carRothwell Inner, Leeds6,708 residents · 65.6% owned · 24.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Breightmet South & Darcy Lever

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

Tenure

Owned66%
2,688 households
Social rented21.7%
884 households
Private rented11.8%
479 households
Shared ownership0.4%
18 households
Lives rent free0.1%
4 households
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached47.1%
1,921 households
Terraced30%
1,221 households
Detached15.4%
629 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement6.2%
251 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.7%
28 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%
15 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 households
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.4%
1,769 households
2 cars or vans in household27.7%
1,127 households
No cars or vans in household22%
895 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.9%
282 households
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms50.3%
2,049 households
2 bedrooms32.8%
1,336 households
4 or more bedrooms11.2%
458 households
1 bedroom5.7%
231 households
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household66.7%
2,717 households
One-person household28.5%
1,163 households
Other household types4.8%
195 households
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34.2%
1,392 households
1 person in household28.5%
1,163 households
3 people in household17.5%
713 households
4 people in household12.8%
522 households
5 people in household4.8%
197 households
6 people in household1.4%
56 households
7 people in household0.5%
21 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
12 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.8%
1,931 residents
15–2915.8%
1,536 residents
30–4419.3%
1,876 residents
45–6425.8%
2,511 residents
65 and over19.3%
1,874 residents
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White89.6%
8,718 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh4.5%
434 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.6%
256 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.6%
255 residents
Other ethnic group0.7%
65 residents
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above22.8%
1,750 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications21.6%
1,659 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.6%
1,348 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.7%
1,203 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.5%
881 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship8.4%
642 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
184 residents aged 16 and over
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.6%
4,341 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive41.4%
3,179 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2%
150 residents aged 16 and over
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations18%
1,380 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations15.2%
1,162 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.2%
1,091 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.1%
1,004 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed9.6%
736 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.3%
717 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations7.6%
584 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.6%
509 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.3%
486 residents aged 16 and over
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45%
4,382 residents
Good health34.3%
3,337 residents
Fair health14.2%
1,384 residents
Bad health5.1%
497 residents
Very bad health1.3%
128 residents
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.5%
7,735 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.5%
1,990 residents
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension41.6%
1,696 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.8%
1,460 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.4%
708 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.8%
195 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
15 households
Breightmet South & Darcy Lever · 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.