Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001134

Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge

Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,325 residents in Rochdale. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Rochdale
6,325

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,655

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

344.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

80.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

13.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

34.1%

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.

Adlington & Rivington, Chorley10,025 residents · 76.4% owned · 13.0% no carMeltham, Kirklees9,105 residents · 74.6% owned · 15.5% no carSteeton & Silsden Rural, Bradford8,694 residents · 81.4% owned · 13.2% no carAckworth & Darrington, Wakefield11,478 residents · 78.3% owned · 10.1% no carHelmshore, Rossendale6,093 residents · 79.5% owned · 11.0% no carBeardwood, Pleasington & Livesey, Blackburn with Darwen8,739 residents · 86.7% owned · 10.9% no car

Most similar within Rochdale

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Littleborough West & Wardle, Rochdale6,605 residents · 79.7% owned · 12.9% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge

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

Tenure

Owned80.6%
2,140 households
Private rented15%
398 households
Social rented4.1%
108 households
Shared ownership0.3%
9 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached37.6%
997 households
Detached32.7%
868 households
Terraced23.9%
633 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement3.6%
95 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.8%
22 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.6%
17 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.4%
11 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%
11 households
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.5%
1,129 households
2 cars or vans in household34.5%
915 households
No cars or vans in household13.1%
347 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9.9%
263 households
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms47.2%
1,253 households
4 or more bedrooms26.4%
700 households
2 bedrooms20.2%
536 households
1 bedroom6.2%
164 households
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household69%
1,831 households
One-person household26.8%
711 households
Other household types4.3%
113 households
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household38.8%
1,030 households
1 person in household26.8%
712 households
3 people in household15.9%
421 households
4 people in household13.5%
358 households
5 people in household3.2%
84 households
6 people in household1%
26 households
7 people in household0.5%
14 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
8 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516%
1,009 residents
15–2914%
882 residents
30–4417.1%
1,078 residents
45–6429.9%
1,893 residents
65 and over23.1%
1,460 residents
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White92.3%
5,841 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh5.2%
326 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.2%
73 residents
Other ethnic group0.8%
49 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.6%
36 residents
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above34.1%
1,796 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18%
946 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications16.2%
851 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.7%
721 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.5%
449 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7%
367 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.5%
130 residents aged 16 and over
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)58.2%
3,061 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive40.5%
2,128 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.3%
69 residents aged 16 and over
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.1%
1,268 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.5%
762 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.8%
724 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.3%
543 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10.2%
534 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10%
528 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.9%
363 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.4%
284 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.8%
254 residents aged 16 and over
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.2%
3,050 residents
Good health33.8%
2,136 residents
Fair health13.4%
848 residents
Bad health3.6%
230 residents
Very bad health1%
61 residents
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.5%
5,221 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.5%
1,104 residents
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension55.2%
1,465 households
Household is deprived in one dimension31.4%
834 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.7%
285 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.6%
68 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
0 households
Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge · 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 Rochdale

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.