Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001149

Heywood Town

Heywood Town is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,321 residents in Rochdale. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Rochdale
10,321

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,815

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,243.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

44.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

37.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

20.1%

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.

Farnworth South, Bolton8,204 residents · 48.6% owned · 36.4% no carWaterhead, Oldham7,750 residents · 50.6% owned · 37.4% no carFailsworth West, Oldham6,787 residents · 47.4% owned · 36.8% no carWillington Quay, North Tyneside7,643 residents · 41.8% owned · 41.3% no carWigan South, Wigan9,029 residents · 49.5% owned · 31.8% no carTonge, Bolton9,178 residents · 54.7% owned · 30.7% no car

Most similar within Rochdale

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Middleton Town & Rhodes, Rochdale7,210 residents · 58.1% owned · 32.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Heywood Town

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

Tenure

Owned44.6%
2,148 households
Social rented31.2%
1,503 households
Private rented23.3%
1,123 households
Shared ownership0.6%
29 households
Lives rent free0.2%
12 households
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced46.6%
2,242 households
Semi-detached26.8%
1,290 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement17.7%
854 households
Detached6.6%
317 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.2%
57 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.8%
39 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
16 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.7%
2,010 households
No cars or vans in household37.1%
1,788 households
2 cars or vans in household17.6%
849 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3.5%
168 households
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms41.8%
2,011 households
3 bedrooms35.3%
1,699 households
1 bedroom16.9%
812 households
4 or more bedrooms6.1%
293 households
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household56.8%
2,735 households
One-person household39%
1,880 households
Other household types4.2%
202 households
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household39.1%
1,880 households
2 people in household30.2%
1,455 households
3 people in household15.8%
763 households
4 people in household9.2%
442 households
5 people in household4%
193 households
6 people in household1.3%
64 households
7 people in household0.3%
15 households
8 or more people in household0%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.8%
2,048 residents
15–2917.6%
1,818 residents
30–4420.8%
2,147 residents
45–6424.9%
2,571 residents
65 and over16.8%
1,737 residents
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White90.2%
9,309 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.6%
376 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.3%
339 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.2%
224 residents
Other ethnic group0.7%
73 residents
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications27%
2,197 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above20.1%
1,640 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.5%
1,342 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.3%
1,250 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.6%
945 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.9%
566 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.6%
212 residents aged 16 and over
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)57.1%
4,654 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive41.3%
3,370 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.6%
128 residents aged 16 and over
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations21.2%
1,725 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.5%
1,185 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.8%
1,121 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed12.5%
1,015 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.2%
911 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.2%
748 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.4%
520 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations5.9%
483 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.4%
443 residents aged 16 and over
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.6%
4,499 residents
Good health33.2%
3,430 residents
Fair health15.3%
1,580 residents
Bad health5.9%
613 residents
Very bad health1.9%
199 residents
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act77.8%
8,030 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act22.2%
2,291 residents
Heywood Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension38.1%
1,836 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.6%
1,667 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions19.6%
943 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7.2%
349 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
20 households
Heywood Town · 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.