Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001105

Royton South West

Royton South West is a Census neighbourhood of about 5,953 residents in Oldham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Oldham
5,953

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,675

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,312.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

66.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

26.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

24.5%

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.

Droylsden East, Tameside7,993 residents · 63.7% owned · 26.6% no carOssett South East & Horbury Bridge, Wakefield9,050 residents · 65.5% owned · 21.5% no carRastrick West, Calderdale7,986 residents · 67.4% owned · 22.1% no carRothwell Inner, Leeds6,708 residents · 65.6% owned · 24.3% no carBoldon Colliery, South Tyneside5,778 residents · 59.4% owned · 30.2% no carBattle Hill East, North Tyneside5,603 residents · 66.2% owned · 26.6% no car

Most similar within Oldham

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Holt Lane End & Bardsley, Oldham5,803 residents · 67.0% owned · 24.0% no carClough & Shaw Side, Oldham6,038 residents · 71.8% owned · 21.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Royton South West

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

Tenure

Owned66.7%
1,784 households
Social rented21%
563 households
Private rented10.8%
290 households
Shared ownership1.3%
36 households
Lives rent free0.1%
2 households
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached38.7%
1,036 households
Terraced27.9%
745 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement16.2%
432 households
Detached15.7%
419 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.7%
20 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
11 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.3%
9 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.8%
1,117 households
No cars or vans in household26.5%
709 households
2 cars or vans in household24.2%
648 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.5%
201 households
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms43.7%
1,170 households
2 bedrooms30.5%
816 households
4 or more bedrooms13.9%
373 households
1 bedroom11.8%
316 households
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.5%
1,726 households
One-person household32.5%
870 households
Other household types2.9%
78 households
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household35%
936 households
1 person in household32.5%
870 households
3 people in household17%
454 households
4 people in household10.8%
289 households
5 people in household3.6%
96 households
6 people in household0.7%
20 households
7 people in household0.3%
8 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.6%
926 residents
15–2915.3%
910 residents
30–4416.8%
1,001 residents
45–6428.2%
1,676 residents
65 and over24.1%
1,434 residents
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White91.7%
5,458 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.9%
231 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.1%
124 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.8%
106 residents
Other ethnic group0.6%
34 residents
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above24.5%
1,211 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications21%
1,040 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.3%
904 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14%
692 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.5%
570 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.9%
389 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
143 residents aged 16 and over
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.5%
2,797 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.5%
2,103 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1%
49 residents aged 16 and over
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.2%
999 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations15.1%
749 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations15.1%
747 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.6%
622 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.8%
437 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.7%
431 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.4%
414 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.2%
308 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.9%
244 residents aged 16 and over
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.4%
2,706 residents
Good health31.7%
1,885 residents
Fair health16.6%
987 residents
Bad health5%
296 residents
Very bad health1.4%
81 residents
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.7%
4,746 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.3%
1,207 residents
Royton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension44.5%
1,191 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.8%
931 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions16.4%
439 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.2%
112 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
2 households
Royton South West · 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.