Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001039

Besses

Besses is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,602 residents in Bury. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bury
8,602

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,513

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,204.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

52.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

29.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

27.7%

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.

New Moston, Manchester10,496 residents · 62.1% owned · 25.0% no carNorthern Moor, Manchester9,124 residents · 44.3% owned · 31.2% no carBrookfield & Holme Slack, Preston10,544 residents · 59.1% owned · 28.6% no carDroylsden Central, Tameside9,538 residents · 60.3% owned · 28.4% no carButtershaw, Bradford12,219 residents · 60.5% owned · 27.8% no carWinton & Westwood, Salford7,502 residents · 56.8% owned · 26.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Besses

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

Tenure

Owned52.9%
1,857 households
Social rented31.8%
1,118 households
Private rented14.9%
523 households
Shared ownership0.4%
14 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached42.4%
1,489 households
Terraced34.4%
1,210 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement15.1%
530 households
Detached7.2%
253 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.6%
21 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.2%
7 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
3 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.6%
1,603 households
No cars or vans in household29%
1,018 households
2 cars or vans in household20.4%
716 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5%
176 households
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms63.6%
2,236 households
2 bedrooms22.1%
778 households
4 or more bedrooms7.9%
279 households
1 bedroom6.3%
220 households
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household65%
2,282 households
One-person household29.2%
1,026 households
Other household types5.8%
205 households
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household30.2%
1,061 households
1 person in household29.2%
1,026 households
3 people in household18.6%
652 households
4 people in household14%
491 households
5 people in household5.8%
203 households
6 people in household1.5%
52 households
7 people in household0.6%
21 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
7 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1522%
1,889 residents
15–2918.4%
1,581 residents
30–4422.6%
1,940 residents
45–6424.1%
2,075 residents
65 and over13%
1,118 residents
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White81.6%
7,021 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh6.5%
558 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5.3%
459 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.2%
361 residents
Other ethnic group2.4%
204 residents
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above27.7%
1,827 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications19.9%
1,308 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.5%
1,152 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.7%
1,035 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.8%
712 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.7%
374 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
179 residents aged 16 and over
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)59.5%
3,924 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive38.5%
2,535 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2%
131 residents aged 16 and over
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations17.4%
1,145 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.7%
903 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations13.7%
902 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.7%
837 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed11%
727 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.9%
583 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.7%
570 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students7.7%
506 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.3%
413 residents aged 16 and over
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47.3%
4,065 residents
Good health33.1%
2,849 residents
Fair health13.6%
1,169 residents
Bad health4.8%
415 residents
Very bad health1.2%
104 residents
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.2%
6,902 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.8%
1,699 residents
Besses · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension42.5%
1,492 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.5%
1,176 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions19%
667 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.8%
169 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
6 households
Besses · 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 Bury

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.