Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001294

Wigan Central

Wigan Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,998 residents in Wigan. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Wigan
7,998

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,682

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,700

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

61.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

28.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

28.8%

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.

Hessle East & Anlaby South, East Riding of Yorkshire7,949 residents · 62.7% owned · 23.1% no carChorley Town & South, Chorley9,678 residents · 62.2% owned · 24.9% no carWhitehead Park, Bury7,282 residents · 60.2% owned · 27.6% no carHinckley Central, Hinckley and Bosworth9,117 residents · 59.6% owned · 23.4% no carPudsey South East, Leeds7,535 residents · 62.9% owned · 23.5% no carPorthill, Newcastle-under-Lyme7,413 residents · 64.4% owned · 23.2% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Wigan Central

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

Tenure

Owned61.4%
2,262 households
Private rented28.5%
1,048 households
Social rented9.7%
358 households
Lives rent free0.3%
10 households
Shared ownership0.1%
4 households
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced52.7%
1,941 households
Semi-detached25%
919 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement8.8%
324 households
Detached6.9%
253 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits4.1%
150 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.6%
58 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1%
35 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household46.3%
1,706 households
No cars or vans in household28%
1,031 households
2 cars or vans in household20.2%
745 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.4%
199 households
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms46.8%
1,721 households
2 bedrooms30.8%
1,132 households
1 bedroom12%
442 households
4 or more bedrooms10.5%
386 households
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household59%
2,171 households
One-person household36.8%
1,353 households
Other household types4.3%
157 households
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household36.8%
1,353 households
2 people in household32.6%
1,200 households
3 people in household15.8%
582 households
4 people in household10.3%
378 households
5 people in household3.3%
121 households
6 people in household1.1%
40 households
7 people in household0.1%
4 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.5%
1,242 residents
15–2919.4%
1,550 residents
30–4422.5%
1,801 residents
45–6426.9%
2,149 residents
65 and over15.7%
1,253 residents
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White92.4%
7,390 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.1%
251 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.7%
135 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.4%
113 residents
Other ethnic group1.4%
108 residents
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above28.8%
1,919 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.6%
1,238 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications17.8%
1,185 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16.6%
1,104 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.7%
649 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.6%
438 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.1%
137 residents aged 16 and over
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63.4%
4,228 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive34.4%
2,292 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
148 residents aged 16 and over
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.3%
1,354 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations16.3%
1,090 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.2%
882 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.7%
849 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.8%
588 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.6%
573 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.4%
560 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.9%
396 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.7%
378 residents aged 16 and over
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.3%
3,704 residents
Good health34.3%
2,743 residents
Fair health14.2%
1,133 residents
Bad health4.3%
340 residents
Very bad health1%
78 residents
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.8%
6,462 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.2%
1,536 residents
Wigan Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension50%
1,839 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.1%
1,180 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14%
514 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.9%
143 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
5 households
Wigan Central · 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 Wigan

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.