Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001083

West Didsbury

West Didsbury is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,242 residents in Manchester. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Manchester
8,242

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,079

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,792

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

39.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

28.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

69.0%

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.

Pontcanna, Cardiff6,295 residents · 54.1% owned · 27.1% no carSt Albans Central, St Albans9,051 residents · 48.9% owned · 26.4% no carClapham Junction & East Hill, Wandsworth8,916 residents · 37.6% owned · 53.2% no carSummerstown, Wandsworth7,505 residents · 45.3% owned · 44.9% no carTotterdown, Bristol, City of6,831 residents · 55.3% owned · 27.4% no carChiswick North West, Ealing7,566 residents · 47.1% owned · 44.2% no car

Most similar within Manchester

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Didsbury Village, Manchester9,281 residents · 59.4% owned · 24.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in West Didsbury

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

Tenure

Private rented45.5%
1,857 households
Owned39.8%
1,625 households
Social rented13.8%
562 households
Shared ownership0.8%
34 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement33.9%
1,381 households
Terraced21.9%
891 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits20.3%
829 households
Semi-detached16.8%
684 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse3.2%
132 households
Detached2.8%
114 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.1%
45 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household48.9%
1,995 households
No cars or vans in household28.1%
1,147 households
2 cars or vans in household19.9%
813 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3%
121 households
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms35.7%
1,454 households
1 bedroom27.4%
1,115 households
3 bedrooms22.7%
925 households
4 or more bedrooms14.3%
582 households
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household47.8%
1,948 households
One-person household41.2%
1,679 households
Other household types11%
450 households
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household41.2%
1,679 households
2 people in household36.1%
1,473 households
3 people in household10.4%
425 households
4 people in household8.4%
341 households
5 people in household2.3%
95 households
6 people in household0.7%
29 households
7 people in household0.6%
23 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
11 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1512.7%
1,049 residents
15–2931.2%
2,573 residents
30–4432.1%
2,643 residents
45–6417.6%
1,451 residents
65 and over6.4%
526 residents
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White75.6%
6,233 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh9.7%
800 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups6.2%
513 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.4%
362 residents
Other ethnic group4.1%
337 residents
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above69%
4,932 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications10.9%
779 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications8.1%
582 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications5.3%
381 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications3.7%
262 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship1.6%
111 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications1.3%
96 residents aged 16 and over
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)76%
5,428 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive21.6%
1,545 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.4%
168 residents aged 16 and over
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations29.7%
2,122 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations27.5%
1,965 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.9%
638 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students7.8%
557 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers6.6%
473 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.8%
412 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.7%
405 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations5.6%
401 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations2.4%
170 residents aged 16 and over
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health58.9%
4,856 residents
Good health28.9%
2,380 residents
Fair health8%
661 residents
Bad health2.8%
230 residents
Very bad health1.4%
115 residents
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.1%
7,097 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.9%
1,145 residents
West Didsbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension64.5%
2,628 households
Household is deprived in one dimension23.6%
962 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions9.1%
369 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.7%
111 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
6 households
West Didsbury · 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 Manchester

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.