Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001102

Royton East & Cowlishaw

Royton East & Cowlishaw is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,030 residents in Oldham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Oldham
6,030

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,527

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,693.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

78.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

27.3%

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.

Woodbank Park, Stockport5,787 residents · 75.9% owned · 18.2% no carWalshaw & Woolfold, Bury8,058 residents · 82.6% owned · 12.5% no carLostock Hall, South Ribble7,531 residents · 81.3% owned · 12.4% no carBamber Bridge East, South Ribble7,053 residents · 71.4% owned · 16.1% no carKippax West, Leeds7,078 residents · 75.8% owned · 16.4% no carDukinfield East & Hough Hill, Tameside5,409 residents · 81.8% owned · 15.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Royton East & Cowlishaw

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

Tenure

Owned78.8%
1,991 households
Private rented15.6%
395 households
Social rented5.1%
129 households
Shared ownership0.4%
9 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced38.5%
971 households
Semi-detached35.8%
904 households
Detached21.8%
550 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement2.9%
72 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.5%
12 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.4%
10 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
5 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.8%
1,132 households
2 cars or vans in household29.1%
735 households
No cars or vans in household17.8%
449 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.4%
212 households
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms53.4%
1,350 households
2 bedrooms29%
733 households
4 or more bedrooms14.4%
365 households
1 bedroom3.1%
79 households
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household68.4%
1,727 households
One-person household27.1%
685 households
Other household types4.5%
114 households
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34.4%
870 households
1 person in household27.1%
685 households
3 people in household19.5%
494 households
4 people in household13.2%
334 households
5 people in household4.3%
109 households
6 people in household0.9%
23 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
8 households
7 people in household0.2%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.3%
1,102 residents
15–2915.5%
932 residents
30–4420%
1,207 residents
45–6428.6%
1,726 residents
65 and over17.6%
1,060 residents
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White91.9%
5,545 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh4.9%
293 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.1%
128 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.8%
50 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
17 residents
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above27.3%
1,324 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications20.3%
988 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications16.2%
788 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16.1%
781 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.5%
509 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.5%
366 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.1%
101 residents aged 16 and over
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63.1%
3,067 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive35.2%
1,713 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.7%
82 residents aged 16 and over
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22%
1,068 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14.6%
707 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14%
680 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.6%
565 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.8%
476 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.7%
471 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.5%
315 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.3%
306 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.6%
271 residents aged 16 and over
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47.8%
2,881 residents
Good health34.3%
2,065 residents
Fair health12.9%
777 residents
Bad health4%
242 residents
Very bad health1.1%
64 residents
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.8%
4,995 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.2%
1,035 residents
Royton East & Cowlishaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51.2%
1,294 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.6%
825 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13.5%
342 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.5%
64 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
3 households
Royton East & Cowlishaw · 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 Oldham

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.