Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001823

Houghton West

Houghton West is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,045 residents in Sunderland. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Sunderland
8,045

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,523

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,962.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

62.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

24.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

21.8%

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.

Castleford West, Wakefield9,755 residents · 57.8% owned · 28.2% no carMexborough East, Doncaster6,872 residents · 53.2% owned · 27.5% no carMacclesfield Weston, Cheshire East6,865 residents · 62.2% owned · 21.6% no carOakengates & Ketley, Telford and Wrekin10,465 residents · 58.4% owned · 21.1% no carBoldon Colliery, South Tyneside5,778 residents · 59.4% owned · 30.2% no carBeighton, Sheffield5,913 residents · 60.3% owned · 23.5% no car

Most similar within Sunderland

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Ryhope, Sunderland9,496 residents · 58.3% owned · 27.1% no carShiney Row, Sunderland9,690 residents · 66.6% owned · 21.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Houghton West

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

Tenure

Owned62.2%
2,193 households
Social rented24.1%
849 households
Private rented13%
459 households
Shared ownership0.6%
22 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached46.8%
1,649 households
Terraced28.8%
1,015 households
Detached18.9%
665 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement3.2%
111 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure1.6%
56 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
14 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.3%
9 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42%
1,478 households
2 cars or vans in household26.9%
948 households
No cars or vans in household24.6%
865 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.6%
232 households
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms41.2%
1,449 households
2 bedrooms35.2%
1,239 households
4 or more bedrooms16.1%
565 households
1 bedroom7.6%
267 households
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household67.1%
2,365 households
One-person household30%
1,058 households
Other household types2.8%
100 households
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household35.4%
1,247 households
1 person in household30%
1,058 households
3 people in household18.1%
636 households
4 people in household12.3%
432 households
5 people in household3.1%
109 households
6 people in household0.7%
23 households
7 people in household0.3%
12 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.3%
1,475 residents
15–2917.4%
1,400 residents
30–4420.6%
1,657 residents
45–6426.2%
2,108 residents
65 and over17.4%
1,403 residents
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.9%
7,875 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.7%
56 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.7%
53 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.4%
33 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
28 residents
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications23.8%
1,543 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above21.8%
1,411 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.6%
1,207 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.2%
985 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.2%
727 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7%
451 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
153 residents aged 16 and over
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)59.8%
3,876 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive38.9%
2,520 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.3%
81 residents aged 16 and over
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.4%
1,062 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations15.5%
1,005 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations15.1%
979 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.9%
898 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed11.8%
763 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.9%
511 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations7.3%
476 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations7.3%
472 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.8%
313 residents aged 16 and over
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44.6%
3,588 residents
Good health32.7%
2,633 residents
Fair health14.7%
1,186 residents
Bad health6%
481 residents
Very bad health1.9%
156 residents
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act77.3%
6,222 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act22.7%
1,822 residents
Houghton West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension42.6%
1,500 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.7%
1,189 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions18.6%
655 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5%
176 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
4 households
Houghton 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 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.