Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001109

Waterhead

Waterhead is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,750 residents in Oldham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Oldham
7,750

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,363

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,759

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

50.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

37.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

20.3%

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.

Heywood Town, Rochdale10,321 residents · 44.6% owned · 37.1% no carChurch, Hyndburn5,342 residents · 57.2% owned · 29.6% no carLiversedge, Littletown & Millbridge, Kirklees6,272 residents · 53.6% owned · 28.0% no carMiddleton Town & Rhodes, Rochdale7,210 residents · 58.1% owned · 32.4% no carOvenden East, Calderdale5,612 residents · 45.9% owned · 39.3% no carWillington Quay, North Tyneside7,643 residents · 41.8% owned · 41.3% no car

Most similar within Oldham

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Failsworth West, Oldham6,787 residents · 47.4% owned · 36.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Waterhead

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

Tenure

Owned50.6%
1,700 households
Social rented31.6%
1,062 households
Private rented16.7%
560 households
Shared ownership1%
32 households
Lives rent free0.3%
9 households
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced44.3%
1,489 households
Semi-detached22.3%
750 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement21.2%
714 households
Detached10.3%
345 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.1%
36 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.6%
21 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
7 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household38.8%
1,306 households
No cars or vans in household37.4%
1,258 households
2 cars or vans in household18.9%
636 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.8%
162 households
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms40.5%
1,363 households
3 bedrooms35.9%
1,209 households
1 bedroom16%
537 households
4 or more bedrooms7.6%
255 households
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household59.4%
1,995 households
One-person household35.6%
1,197 households
Other household types5%
168 households
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household35.7%
1,198 households
2 people in household30.9%
1,039 households
3 people in household16.6%
557 households
4 people in household10.7%
359 households
5 people in household3.5%
117 households
6 people in household1.2%
40 households
8 or more people in household0.9%
31 households
7 people in household0.6%
19 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.4%
1,581 residents
15–2917.8%
1,377 residents
30–4419.5%
1,512 residents
45–6426.6%
2,061 residents
65 and over15.7%
1,220 residents
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White81.9%
6,344 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh10.7%
828 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.4%
263 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3%
232 residents
Other ethnic group1%
79 residents
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications27.3%
1,654 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above20.3%
1,230 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.2%
1,045 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.2%
864 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11%
667 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.8%
471 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.2%
136 residents aged 16 and over
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)55.3%
3,358 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.9%
2,607 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.8%
107 residents aged 16 and over
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations18.4%
1,115 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.7%
894 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.5%
883 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed12.9%
786 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.8%
654 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.8%
593 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.7%
406 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.4%
390 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations5.8%
352 residents aged 16 and over
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45%
3,485 residents
Good health31.5%
2,445 residents
Fair health15.5%
1,201 residents
Bad health6.3%
486 residents
Very bad health1.7%
133 residents
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act78.5%
6,080 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act21.5%
1,670 residents
Waterhead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension38%
1,278 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.5%
1,127 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions20.5%
688 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7.9%
264 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
6 households
Waterhead · 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.