Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001860

Handsworth West

Handsworth West is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,471 residents in Birmingham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Birmingham
8,471

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,737

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

8,541

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

44.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

40.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

22.1%

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.

Oldbury & Rood End, Sandwell8,258 residents · 48.3% owned · 34.6% no carPalfrey, Walsall10,264 residents · 47.0% owned · 34.2% no carFoleshill West, Coventry7,355 residents · 41.4% owned · 34.3% no carPleck, Walsall8,555 residents · 45.7% owned · 33.2% no carBlakenhall, Wolverhampton14,363 residents · 41.8% owned · 38.3% no carSmethwick North & West, Sandwell14,169 residents · 50.1% owned · 32.5% no car

Most similar within Birmingham

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Middlemore, Birmingham9,877 residents · 44.0% owned · 40.5% no carHandsworth South, Birmingham11,402 residents · 43.0% owned · 44.7% no carWinson Green & Gib Heath, Birmingham11,386 residents · 30.9% owned · 47.5% no carHay Mills & Tyseley, Birmingham7,725 residents · 48.4% owned · 35.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Handsworth West

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

Tenure

Owned44.5%
1,218 households
Private rented31.5%
862 households
Social rented22.9%
628 households
Shared ownership0.7%
19 households
Lives rent free0.4%
10 households
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced47.6%
1,303 households
Semi-detached29.9%
819 households
Detached11.9%
326 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement6%
165 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits3%
82 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.3%
35 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
5 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.1%
1,125 households
No cars or vans in household40.4%
1,104 households
2 cars or vans in household13.3%
365 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.2%
142 households
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms52.2%
1,427 households
2 bedrooms25.9%
708 households
4 or more bedrooms15.5%
423 households
1 bedroom6.5%
177 households
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household57.7%
1,578 households
One-person household25.5%
698 households
Other household types16.8%
458 households
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household25.5%
699 households
2 people in household19.8%
541 households
4 people in household17.8%
486 households
3 people in household15.8%
432 households
5 people in household10.6%
290 households
6 people in household5.4%
148 households
7 people in household2.7%
75 households
8 or more people in household2.4%
65 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1523.6%
2,000 residents
15–2922%
1,861 residents
30–4422.8%
1,933 residents
45–6421.9%
1,852 residents
65 and over9.8%
828 residents
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh54.6%
4,626 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African18.7%
1,586 residents
White15.9%
1,343 residents
Other ethnic group6.9%
582 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.9%
333 residents
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications31.2%
1,981 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above22.1%
1,403 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.9%
816 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.8%
813 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.3%
779 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications5.1%
321 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.6%
227 residents aged 16 and over
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)48.8%
3,092 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive47.6%
3,020 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3.6%
227 residents aged 16 and over
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed23.2%
1,471 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations18.2%
1,154 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students12.9%
819 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.8%
809 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.9%
565 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.6%
544 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations7.5%
476 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.6%
292 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations3.3%
210 residents aged 16 and over
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.7%
3,868 residents
Good health34.8%
2,947 residents
Fair health13.5%
1,147 residents
Bad health4.6%
393 residents
Very bad health1.4%
115 residents
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.8%
7,271 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.2%
1,200 residents
Handsworth West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension37.6%
1,028 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension34.3%
938 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions22.4%
614 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5.3%
146 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
10 households
Handsworth 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 Birmingham

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.