Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001309

Atherton South West

Atherton South West is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,354 residents in Wigan. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Wigan

8,354

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,828

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,690

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

67.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

20.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

25.0%

Adults with a degree or above

ONS Census 2021 · qualifications

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Atherton South West

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

Tenure

Owned67.2%

2,572 households

Private rented23.1%

884 households

Social rented9.2%

353 households

Shared ownership0.4%

15 households

Lives rent free0.1%

4 households

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced40.8%

1,560 households

Semi-detached29.1%

1,112 households

Detached14.4%

550 households

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement13.4%

513 households

In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1%

38 households

A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.7%

27 households

Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%

15 households

Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.3%

12 households

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.3%

1,696 households

2 cars or vans in household27.2%

1,042 households

No cars or vans in household20.9%

801 households

3 or more cars or vans in household7.6%

291 households

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms42%

1,608 households

3 bedrooms38.4%

1,468 households

4 or more bedrooms12.9%

494 households

1 bedroom6.7%

257 households

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household62.3%

2,383 households

One-person household34.4%

1,318 households

Other household types3.3%

127 households

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34.8%

1,331 households

1 person in household34.4%

1,318 households

3 people in household15.7%

602 households

4 people in household11.4%

435 households

5 people in household3%

115 households

6 people in household0.6%

23 households

7 people in household0.1%

4 households

0 people in household0%

0 households

8 or more people in household0%

0 households

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.4%

1,366 residents

15–2917.1%

1,428 residents

30–4421.4%

1,786 residents

45–6425.8%

2,151 residents

65 and over19.4%

1,622 residents

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White94.7%

7,913 residents

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.9%

162 residents

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.5%

122 residents

Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.3%

106 residents

Other ethnic group0.6%

51 residents

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above25%

1,722 residents aged 16 and over

No qualifications19.7%

1,354 residents aged 16 and over

Level 3 qualifications19%

1,310 residents aged 16 and over

Level 2 qualifications15.7%

1,083 residents aged 16 and over

Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.4%

719 residents aged 16 and over

Apprenticeship7.5%

520 residents aged 16 and over

Other qualifications2.6%

180 residents aged 16 and over

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)62.8%

4,327 residents aged 16 and over

Economically inactive35.3%

2,433 residents aged 16 and over

Economically active and a full-time student1.9%

129 residents aged 16 and over

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.5%

1,345 residents aged 16 and over

L13 Routine occupations14.2%

979 residents aged 16 and over

L7 Intermediate occupations13.9%

960 residents aged 16 and over

L12 Semi-routine occupations13%

893 residents aged 16 and over

L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.1%

694 residents aged 16 and over

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.6%

663 residents aged 16 and over

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.9%

542 residents aged 16 and over

L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.9%

475 residents aged 16 and over

L15 Full-time students4.9%

337 residents aged 16 and over

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.8%

3,913 residents

Good health34.4%

2,877 residents

Fair health13.3%

1,109 residents

Bad health4.4%

364 residents

Very bad health1.1%

91 residents

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.3%

6,788 residents

Disabled under the Equality Act18.7%

1,565 residents

Atherton South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension50.1%

1,916 households

Household is deprived in one dimension31.2%

1,195 households

Household is deprived in two dimensions14.4%

553 households

Household is deprived in three dimensions4.2%

159 households

Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%

4 households

Atherton South West · 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.

All statistics on this pageONS · Census 2021, Open Government Licence v3.0
Neighbourhood nameHouse of Commons Library · MSOA Names, Open Parliament Licence
GeographyONS Middle layer Super Output Area E02001309

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.

Atherton South West

Usual residents

Households

Residents per km²

Households owning their home

Households with no car or van

Adults with a degree or above

Neighbourhoods most like this one

Most similar within Wigan

Life in Atherton South West

Tenure

Accommodation type

Car or van availability

Number of bedrooms

Household composition

Household size

Age

Ethnic group

Highest qualification

Economic activity

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

General health

Disability

Household deprivation

Alike on the Census, which is not the same as alike to live in.

Source and date are part of the record.