Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001113

Busk

Busk is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,434 residents in Oldham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Oldham
9,434

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,512

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,969.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

47.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

38.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

17.9%

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.

Girlington, Bradford8,291 residents · 55.1% owned · 37.3% no carBrown Royd, Bradford7,845 residents · 46.0% owned · 38.1% no carBarkerend East, Bradford10,842 residents · 53.9% owned · 37.7% no carCanterbury, Bradford9,776 residents · 49.3% owned · 38.4% no carLongsight East, Manchester9,280 residents · 35.5% owned · 35.6% no carNelson West, Pendle9,518 residents · 57.3% owned · 31.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Busk

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

Tenure

Owned47.6%
1,196 households
Social rented27%
677 households
Private rented25.2%
633 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
Shared ownership0.1%
3 households
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced62.3%
1,566 households
Semi-detached22.8%
574 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement9.1%
228 households
Detached4.1%
104 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1%
26 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.4%
10 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
2 households
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.5%
1,042 households
No cars or vans in household38.1%
957 households
2 cars or vans in household15.5%
390 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.9%
122 households
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms39.1%
981 households
3 bedrooms28.9%
726 households
4 or more bedrooms24.6%
619 households
1 bedroom7.4%
186 households
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household63.9%
1,606 households
One-person household19.8%
498 households
Other household types16.3%
409 households
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household19.9%
499 households
2 people in household15.8%
397 households
4 people in household15.6%
393 households
5 people in household14.1%
353 households
3 people in household13.3%
335 households
6 people in household10.1%
253 households
7 people in household6.1%
153 households
8 or more people in household5.1%
129 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1526.9%
2,534 residents
15–2927.4%
2,583 residents
30–4421.6%
2,042 residents
45–6417.3%
1,630 residents
65 and over6.8%
646 residents
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh79.5%
7,499 residents
White14.3%
1,353 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.2%
299 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.8%
172 residents
Other ethnic group1.2%
113 residents
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications35.2%
2,360 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above17.9%
1,203 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications14.2%
955 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.6%
914 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications13.1%
877 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.1%
208 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
196 residents aged 16 and over
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive50.8%
3,411 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)44.7%
2,997 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student4.5%
304 residents aged 16 and over
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed26.7%
1,791 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students16%
1,076 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations15.4%
1,033 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.2%
615 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.2%
551 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.2%
551 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations7%
468 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers6.7%
447 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations2.7%
181 residents aged 16 and over
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47%
4,435 residents
Good health33.4%
3,151 residents
Fair health13.3%
1,257 residents
Bad health4.9%
460 residents
Very bad health1.4%
131 residents
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.7%
8,083 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.3%
1,351 residents
Busk · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension36.7%
922 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions27%
678 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension24.8%
624 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions10.6%
267 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.8%
21 households
Busk · 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.