Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001406

Rainford

Rainford is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,846 residents in St. Helens. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for St. Helens
7,846

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,504

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

293.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

83.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

11.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

36.8%

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.

Pensby & Thingwall, Wirral7,334 residents · 84.8% owned · 12.0% no carHarwood, Bolton8,350 residents · 85.4% owned · 13.5% no carThurstaston & Irby, Wirral6,605 residents · 87.0% owned · 11.6% no carCulcheth East & Hollins Green, Warrington6,483 residents · 78.1% owned · 14.1% no carRowlands Gill & Lockhaugh, Gateshead5,569 residents · 75.3% owned · 19.7% no carPenketh & Cuerdley, Warrington8,226 residents · 87.7% owned · 12.3% no car

Most similar within St. Helens

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Garswood, St. Helens5,448 residents · 83.9% owned · 12.0% no carRainhill South, St. Helens5,576 residents · 88.0% owned · 12.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Rainford

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

Tenure

Owned83.6%
2,928 households
Private rented9.4%
329 households
Social rented6.6%
232 households
Shared ownership0.4%
15 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached56.9%
1,994 households
Detached27.1%
949 households
Terraced13.2%
463 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement2.3%
79 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%
9 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
6 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.1%
5 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household40.6%
1,423 households
2 cars or vans in household36.1%
1,265 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.8%
412 households
No cars or vans in household11.6%
405 households
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms54.8%
1,921 households
4 or more bedrooms21.4%
750 households
2 bedrooms20.8%
729 households
1 bedroom2.9%
103 households
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household67.6%
2,368 households
One-person household29.4%
1,031 households
Other household types2.9%
102 households
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household39%
1,367 households
1 person in household29.4%
1,031 households
3 people in household16.1%
565 households
4 people in household11%
387 households
5 people in household3.6%
126 households
6 people in household0.6%
21 households
7 people in household0.1%
5 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1513.7%
1,072 residents
15–2911.7%
920 residents
30–4414.3%
1,122 residents
45–6429.3%
2,296 residents
65 and over31.1%
2,438 residents
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.8%
7,674 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1%
79 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.6%
49 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
25 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.2%
17 residents
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above36.8%
2,460 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications16%
1,071 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.9%
1,060 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.1%
876 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.1%
608 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.4%
427 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.6%
175 residents aged 16 and over
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)51.2%
3,421 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive47.2%
3,152 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.6%
104 residents aged 16 and over
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations25.2%
1,682 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.5%
1,035 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.2%
884 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.4%
695 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.6%
639 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.5%
632 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.1%
475 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.3%
357 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.2%
278 residents aged 16 and over
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47.8%
3,753 residents
Good health32.9%
2,578 residents
Fair health13.7%
1,076 residents
Bad health4.5%
352 residents
Very bad health1.1%
87 residents
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.7%
6,331 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.3%
1,517 residents
Rainford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension52.2%
1,830 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.3%
1,167 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions12.2%
426 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.3%
80 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
0 households
Rainford · 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 St. Helens

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.