Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001304

Orrell & Longshaw

Orrell & Longshaw is a Census neighbourhood of about 12,764 residents in Wigan. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Wigan
12,764

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,610

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,189

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

81.1%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

13.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.4%

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.

Blackrod & Butterwick Fields, Bolton6,303 residents · 77.0% owned · 13.9% no carPenistone, Barnsley10,541 residents · 74.3% owned · 13.4% no carBurscough, West Lancashire9,620 residents · 74.6% owned · 13.2% no carSpringhead & Grasscroft, Oldham6,064 residents · 78.1% owned · 15.4% no carCheetham Fold & Gee Cross, Tameside7,437 residents · 80.0% owned · 15.0% no carHeckmondwike Town, Norristhorpe & Roberttown, Kirklees7,978 residents · 78.2% owned · 15.3% no car

Most similar within Wigan

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Shevington, Wigan10,174 residents · 84.4% owned · 11.8% no carLowton Common, Wigan8,163 residents · 76.6% owned · 12.9% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Orrell & Longshaw

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

Tenure

Owned81.1%
4,547 households
Private rented10.3%
578 households
Social rented8.2%
461 households
Shared ownership0.4%
20 households
Lives rent free0.1%
4 households
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached50.4%
2,829 households
Detached25.4%
1,427 households
Terraced19.4%
1,086 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement4%
225 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
24 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.2%
9 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
9 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household40.8%
2,288 households
2 cars or vans in household34.9%
1,958 households
No cars or vans in household13.8%
773 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10.5%
591 households
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms46.5%
2,608 households
2 bedrooms26.2%
1,468 households
4 or more bedrooms22.7%
1,272 households
1 bedroom4.7%
264 households
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household68.5%
3,841 households
One-person household29.1%
1,632 households
Other household types2.5%
138 households
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household36.2%
2,033 households
1 person in household29.1%
1,632 households
3 people in household17.7%
991 households
4 people in household13.1%
733 households
5 people in household3.2%
179 households
6 people in household0.6%
32 households
7 people in household0.1%
7 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.1%
2,053 residents
15–2914.3%
1,820 residents
30–4418.1%
2,304 residents
45–6428.6%
3,645 residents
65 and over23%
2,942 residents
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.7%
12,474 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.8%
108 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.8%
101 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
41 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.3%
40 residents
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.4%
3,529 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.8%
1,882 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications15.8%
1,672 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.4%
1,523 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.5%
893 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.8%
823 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.3%
240 residents aged 16 and over
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)58.2%
6,145 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive39.8%
4,201 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.1%
219 residents aged 16 and over
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.3%
2,568 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.8%
1,458 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations12.9%
1,365 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11.6%
1,225 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10%
1,059 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.6%
1,012 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.3%
665 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6%
638 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.4%
573 residents aged 16 and over
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health51%
6,513 residents
Good health32.1%
4,098 residents
Fair health12%
1,529 residents
Bad health4%
510 residents
Very bad health0.9%
114 residents
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.6%
10,551 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.4%
2,216 residents
Orrell & Longshaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension54.1%
3,035 households
Household is deprived in one dimension31.9%
1,791 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions12%
671 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.9%
108 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
7 households
Orrell & Longshaw · 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.