Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001316

Leigh Central

Leigh Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,358 residents in Wigan. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Wigan
7,358

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,494

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

6,193.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

45.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

37.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

21.3%

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.

Northwood, Stoke-on-Trent7,091 residents · 44.6% owned · 37.6% no carBoothen & Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent9,443 residents · 44.1% owned · 37.6% no carCentral Darlington & Pierremont, Darlington11,484 residents · 44.0% owned · 40.2% no carBarnsley Town & Park Road, Barnsley12,091 residents · 45.7% owned · 35.2% no carFairfield & Howley, Warrington11,285 residents · 40.4% owned · 32.4% no carCrewe Town & Victoria Avenue, Cheshire East7,983 residents · 42.3% owned · 34.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Leigh Central

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

Tenure

Owned45.4%
1,586 households
Private rented44.4%
1,553 households
Social rented9.6%
335 households
Shared ownership0.5%
17 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced63.4%
2,218 households
Semi-detached14.9%
523 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement10.7%
376 households
Detached4.4%
153 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.7%
96 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.1%
73 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.6%
56 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
4 households
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44%
1,538 households
No cars or vans in household37.5%
1,310 households
2 cars or vans in household15.7%
548 households
3 or more cars or vans in household2.8%
98 households
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms54.9%
1,918 households
3 bedrooms28.5%
996 households
1 bedroom10.5%
367 households
4 or more bedrooms6.1%
215 households
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household53.9%
1,883 households
One-person household41.3%
1,443 households
Other household types4.8%
167 households
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household41.3%
1,443 households
2 people in household29.7%
1,038 households
3 people in household14.8%
516 households
4 people in household9.1%
319 households
5 people in household3.5%
121 households
6 people in household1.1%
38 households
7 people in household0.3%
10 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
9 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.4%
1,353 residents
15–2921.1%
1,555 residents
30–4424.1%
1,774 residents
45–6424.1%
1,775 residents
65 and over12.3%
906 residents
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White84.3%
6,207 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh6.8%
500 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.5%
257 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.8%
206 residents
Other ethnic group2.6%
189 residents
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications25.3%
1,502 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above21.3%
1,263 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17%
1,007 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.3%
910 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.1%
718 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6%
358 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
175 residents aged 16 and over
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)61.5%
3,650 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive37%
2,195 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
87 residents aged 16 and over
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations19.3%
1,147 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations15.5%
921 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.9%
825 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed13.1%
775 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.7%
633 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.5%
563 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations7.4%
438 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.7%
336 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations5%
295 residents aged 16 and over
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.8%
3,222 residents
Good health35.4%
2,605 residents
Fair health14.5%
1,070 residents
Bad health5%
366 residents
Very bad health1.3%
95 residents
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81%
5,961 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19%
1,399 residents
Leigh Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension40.1%
1,402 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.6%
1,210 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions18.4%
642 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.4%
225 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
14 households
Leigh 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.