Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001116

Salem

Salem is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,912 residents in Oldham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Oldham
7,912

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,387

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

6,507.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

57.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

31.2%

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.

Nelson West, Pendle9,518 residents · 57.3% owned · 31.0% no carKing Cross, Calderdale6,544 residents · 57.9% owned · 35.3% no carRumworth South, Bolton8,470 residents · 54.9% owned · 29.6% no carDeeplish, Rochdale10,296 residents · 46.8% owned · 34.3% no carWardleworth & Newbold Brow, Rochdale10,362 residents · 49.2% owned · 33.3% no carPellon West & Highroad Well, Calderdale8,604 residents · 56.7% owned · 31.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Salem

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

Tenure

Owned57.3%
1,368 households
Private rented34%
812 households
Social rented7.8%
186 households
Lives rent free0.5%
11 households
Shared ownership0.4%
10 households
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced58.7%
1,399 households
Semi-detached25.7%
612 households
Detached11.6%
276 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement2.6%
63 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.7%
16 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.7%
16 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0%
1 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.1%
1,076 households
No cars or vans in household31.2%
744 households
2 cars or vans in household18.3%
438 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.4%
129 households
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms47.3%
1,129 households
3 bedrooms33.2%
792 households
4 or more bedrooms16.3%
389 households
1 bedroom3.2%
77 households
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household66.2%
1,582 households
One-person household22.1%
527 households
Other household types11.7%
279 households
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household26.1%
624 households
1 person in household22.1%
528 households
3 people in household13.5%
322 households
4 people in household12.4%
296 households
5 people in household10.8%
258 households
6 people in household6.8%
162 households
8 or more people in household4.2%
101 households
7 people in household4%
96 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1529.3%
2,318 residents
15–2920.8%
1,650 residents
30–4422.9%
1,810 residents
45–6418.3%
1,452 residents
65 and over8.7%
685 residents
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh58%
4,592 residents
White32.1%
2,543 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.8%
301 residents
Other ethnic group3.6%
285 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.4%
190 residents
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications31%
1,693 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above20.3%
1,110 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.9%
706 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.7%
694 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.4%
678 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications5.4%
293 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.2%
282 residents aged 16 and over
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive48.8%
2,663 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)48.5%
2,648 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.6%
144 residents aged 16 and over
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed21.1%
1,150 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations16.5%
901 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students12.2%
664 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.6%
633 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.1%
607 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.9%
595 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.9%
487 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.3%
232 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations3.4%
187 residents aged 16 and over
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.7%
3,857 residents
Good health33.9%
2,679 residents
Fair health12.3%
972 residents
Bad health3.7%
293 residents
Very bad health1.4%
111 residents
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.8%
6,790 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.2%
1,121 residents
Salem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension38%
906 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension33.3%
795 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions21.2%
505 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7.2%
171 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
10 households
Salem · 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.