Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001443

Formby South West

Formby South West is a Census neighbourhood of about 5,644 residents in Sefton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Sefton
5,644

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,329

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,052.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

88.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

11.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

41.6%

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.

Elton Vale, Bury7,333 residents · 89.4% owned · 11.7% no carAughton, West Lancashire8,036 residents · 88.0% owned · 9.6% no carSummerseat, Bury5,917 residents · 88.1% owned · 10.7% no carNew Longton & Hutton, South Ribble6,116 residents · 87.0% owned · 7.5% no carWhitley Bay North, North Tyneside6,164 residents · 92.5% owned · 10.4% no carPoynton East, Cheshire East6,429 residents · 89.1% owned · 10.8% no car

Most similar within Sefton

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Formby West & Freshfield North, Sefton6,331 residents · 92.9% owned · 9.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Formby South West

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

Tenure

Owned88.7%
2,065 households
Private rented7.2%
168 households
Social rented3.8%
88 households
Shared ownership0.3%
8 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached51.8%
1,207 households
Semi-detached40.6%
947 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement4.4%
102 households
Terraced2.4%
56 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%
9 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.3%
6 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.1%
2 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.7%
970 households
2 cars or vans in household35.4%
823 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.9%
276 households
No cars or vans in household11.1%
259 households
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms44.5%
1,036 households
4 or more bedrooms43%
1,001 households
2 bedrooms10%
233 households
1 bedroom2.5%
59 households
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household71.5%
1,666 households
One-person household24.8%
577 households
Other household types3.7%
86 households
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household38.9%
905 households
1 person in household24.7%
576 households
4 people in household15.5%
360 households
3 people in household15.2%
354 households
5 people in household4.7%
109 households
6 people in household0.8%
18 households
7 people in household0.2%
5 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1514.5%
818 residents
15–2913.7%
772 residents
30–4413.4%
757 residents
45–6427.6%
1,561 residents
65 and over30.8%
1,738 residents
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.5%
5,498 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.3%
71 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.8%
47 residents
Other ethnic group0.2%
14 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.2%
10 residents
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above41.6%
1,980 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.9%
755 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.1%
670 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications11.8%
561 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.3%
397 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.7%
270 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.6%
125 residents aged 16 and over
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)50.4%
2,397 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive47.8%
2,275 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.8%
87 residents aged 16 and over
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations27.2%
1,295 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.6%
883 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14.1%
671 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.7%
508 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8.9%
423 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.9%
281 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.7%
272 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.5%
263 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.4%
163 residents aged 16 and over
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health51.9%
2,929 residents
Good health31.1%
1,755 residents
Fair health12.7%
715 residents
Bad health3.4%
192 residents
Very bad health0.9%
52 residents
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.4%
4,649 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.6%
995 residents
Formby South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension54.8%
1,277 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.5%
805 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions9.2%
215 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.4%
32 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
1 households
Formby 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 Sefton

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.