Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001323

Leigh South

Leigh South is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,705 residents in Wigan. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Wigan
7,705

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,434

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,991

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

66.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

20.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

30.6%

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.

Rastrick West, Calderdale7,986 residents · 67.4% owned · 22.1% no carMapplewell & Staincross, Barnsley8,538 residents · 72.2% owned · 17.3% no carOssett South East & Horbury Bridge, Wakefield9,050 residents · 65.5% owned · 21.5% no carRyton, Gateshead8,529 residents · 70.3% owned · 21.7% no carPrudhoe, Northumberland10,735 residents · 65.5% owned · 21.2% no carSpital & Hasland, Chesterfield11,420 residents · 70.8% owned · 20.1% no car

Most similar within Wigan

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Leigh East & Higher Folds, Wigan9,005 residents · 66.5% owned · 21.9% no carTyldesley North, Wigan8,192 residents · 62.6% owned · 22.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Leigh South

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

Tenure

Owned66.9%
2,299 households
Social rented18.4%
631 households
Private rented13.9%
477 households
Shared ownership0.5%
18 households
Lives rent free0.3%
9 households
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached42%
1,443 households
Terraced27.4%
941 households
Detached20.1%
690 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement9.8%
336 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.3%
11 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%
10 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.1%
1,412 households
2 cars or vans in household29.3%
1,006 households
No cars or vans in household20.9%
716 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.7%
300 households
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms42%
1,443 households
2 bedrooms30.5%
1,047 households
4 or more bedrooms19.6%
674 households
1 bedroom7.9%
270 households
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.5%
2,215 households
One-person household32.2%
1,107 households
Other household types3.2%
111 households
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34%
1,168 households
1 person in household32.3%
1,107 households
3 people in household17%
583 households
4 people in household12.5%
428 households
5 people in household3.2%
111 households
6 people in household0.6%
22 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
8 households
7 people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.4%
1,266 residents
15–2915%
1,159 residents
30–4418.7%
1,440 residents
45–6428.6%
2,204 residents
65 and over21.2%
1,635 residents
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White95%
7,325 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.6%
125 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.4%
105 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.2%
89 residents
Other ethnic group0.8%
63 residents
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above30.6%
1,940 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.5%
1,170 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.1%
1,145 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.5%
917 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.8%
623 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.3%
398 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.3%
147 residents aged 16 and over
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)57.7%
3,661 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive40.7%
2,581 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.6%
101 residents aged 16 and over
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.9%
1,386 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13%
825 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.7%
803 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.8%
749 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.7%
742 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.8%
622 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.2%
523 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6%
381 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.9%
311 residents aged 16 and over
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.2%
3,557 residents
Good health33.5%
2,585 residents
Fair health14%
1,082 residents
Bad health4.8%
368 residents
Very bad health1.5%
113 residents
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.3%
6,184 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.7%
1,521 residents
Leigh South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension48.1%
1,652 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.8%
1,127 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15.3%
524 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.7%
127 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
4 households
Leigh South · 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.