Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001813

Thorney Close & Plains Farm

Thorney Close & Plains Farm is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,686 residents in Sunderland. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Sunderland
9,686

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,149

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,331.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

37.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

40.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

15.3%

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.

Mount Pleasant & Deckham East, Gateshead6,313 residents · 35.4% owned · 43.8% no carParson Cross, Sheffield10,170 residents · 49.3% owned · 32.4% no carBeacon Lough & Wrekenton, Gateshead7,869 residents · 39.5% owned · 45.3% no carBrockley Whins, South Tyneside5,391 residents · 40.6% owned · 40.3% no carHeworth, Gateshead9,146 residents · 50.5% owned · 36.3% no carCotmanhay, Erewash7,027 residents · 49.4% owned · 30.2% no car

Most similar within Sunderland

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Pennywell and Grindon, Sunderland8,699 residents · 47.8% owned · 38.6% no carHylton Red House & Marley Pots, Sunderland8,840 residents · 42.4% owned · 41.1% no carTown End Farm, Sunderland8,274 residents · 34.7% owned · 44.7% no carPallion North, Sunderland7,354 residents · 40.0% owned · 40.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Thorney Close & Plains Farm

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

Tenure

Social rented51.9%
2,153 households
Owned37.9%
1,573 households
Private rented10%
414 households
Shared ownership0.2%
8 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached70.2%
2,911 households
Terraced14.2%
588 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement7.5%
310 households
Detached4.6%
191 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.7%
114 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.6%
24 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
9 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household40.9%
1,696 households
1 car or van in household39.7%
1,646 households
2 cars or vans in household15.3%
636 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.1%
169 households
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms47.1%
1,954 households
2 bedrooms35.8%
1,483 households
1 bedroom10.3%
428 households
4 or more bedrooms6.8%
282 households
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64%
2,652 households
One-person household31.8%
1,317 households
Other household types4.2%
176 households
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household31.8%
1,318 households
2 people in household30.7%
1,273 households
3 people in household19.2%
795 households
4 people in household12.5%
518 households
5 people in household4.2%
175 households
6 people in household1.1%
46 households
7 people in household0.3%
11 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
10 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.1%
1,950 residents
15–2919.2%
1,856 residents
30–4419.1%
1,850 residents
45–6426.4%
2,560 residents
65 and over15.2%
1,470 residents
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.5%
9,346 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.3%
124 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.1%
107 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.7%
69 residents
Other ethnic group0.4%
42 residents
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications28.6%
2,177 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications17%
1,290 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.2%
1,235 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above15.3%
1,164 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications13.6%
1,030 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.7%
508 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.6%
197 residents aged 16 and over
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)53%
4,032 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive45.5%
3,459 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.4%
110 residents aged 16 and over
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations19.6%
1,491 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations19.1%
1,454 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed17.6%
1,340 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.7%
817 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.7%
812 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers6.3%
481 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.3%
480 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.2%
468 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations3.4%
258 residents aged 16 and over
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health40.7%
3,941 residents
Good health32.5%
3,144 residents
Fair health17.1%
1,657 residents
Bad health7.6%
734 residents
Very bad health2.2%
210 residents
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act73%
7,069 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act27%
2,616 residents
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension36%
1,494 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension31.1%
1,289 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions23.8%
986 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions8.8%
365 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
13 households
Thorney Close & Plains Farm · 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 Sunderland

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.