Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001322

Ashton-in-Makerfield West

Ashton-in-Makerfield West is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,206 residents in Wigan. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Wigan
7,206

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,184

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,748.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

76.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.2%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

27.3%

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.

Spital & Hasland, Chesterfield11,420 residents · 70.8% owned · 20.1% no carScale Hall & Torrisholme, Lancaster12,192 residents · 74.0% owned · 20.6% no carMaes-y-dre & Borras, Wrexham9,895 residents · 73.0% owned · 16.5% no carWesterhope, Newcastle upon Tyne10,853 residents · 78.0% owned · 22.8% no carHigher Compton & Eggbuckland, Plymouth7,129 residents · 75.2% owned · 16.0% no carBaddley & Milton, Stoke-on-Trent9,571 residents · 81.0% owned · 13.9% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Ashton-in-Makerfield West

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

Tenure

Owned76.8%
2,446 households
Private rented15.9%
506 households
Social rented6.9%
221 households
Shared ownership0.2%
6 households
Lives rent free0.2%
5 households
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached43%
1,371 households
Terraced29.8%
950 households
Detached23.5%
750 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement1.8%
56 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1%
32 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.5%
15 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
9 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44%
1,400 households
2 cars or vans in household29.5%
940 households
No cars or vans in household17.2%
549 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9.3%
296 households
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms52.3%
1,665 households
2 bedrooms27.3%
871 households
4 or more bedrooms15.4%
491 households
1 bedroom5%
158 households
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household66.9%
2,130 households
One-person household30.1%
958 households
Other household types3.1%
98 households
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household38.8%
1,234 households
1 person in household30.1%
958 households
3 people in household16%
508 households
4 people in household10.8%
345 households
5 people in household3.1%
100 households
6 people in household0.8%
26 households
7 people in household0.3%
10 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1514.5%
1,041 residents
15–2914.9%
1,075 residents
30–4416.6%
1,199 residents
45–6427.8%
2,006 residents
65 and over26.1%
1,883 residents
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White98.2%
7,071 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.9%
66 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.4%
30 residents
Other ethnic group0.4%
26 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.1%
8 residents
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above27.3%
1,659 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.7%
1,140 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.1%
1,101 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.3%
931 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10%
610 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.7%
468 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
179 residents aged 16 and over
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)55.1%
3,354 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive43.2%
2,630 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.7%
104 residents aged 16 and over
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.8%
1,266 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14.4%
874 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.5%
820 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.5%
819 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.9%
601 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.6%
582 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.6%
462 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.4%
388 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.5%
272 residents aged 16 and over
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.9%
3,166 residents
Good health34.9%
2,512 residents
Fair health14.8%
1,065 residents
Bad health5.3%
379 residents
Very bad health1.2%
84 residents
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.4%
5,720 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.6%
1,486 residents
Ashton-in-Makerfield West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51%
1,625 households
Household is deprived in one dimension31.1%
991 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.3%
457 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.5%
111 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
1 households
Ashton-in-Makerfield 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.

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.