Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001874

Washwood Heath

Washwood Heath is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,962 residents in Birmingham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Birmingham
9,962

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,683

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,243.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

46.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

33.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

17.4%

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.

Oldham Town South, Oldham8,679 residents · 40.9% owned · 38.9% no carAudley, Blackburn with Darwen8,576 residents · 51.2% owned · 33.0% no carCanterbury, Bradford9,776 residents · 49.3% owned · 38.4% no carBrown Royd, Bradford7,845 residents · 46.0% owned · 38.1% no carThornbury, Bradford9,674 residents · 59.0% owned · 28.9% no carPalfrey, Walsall10,264 residents · 47.0% owned · 34.2% no car

Most similar within Birmingham

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Belchers Lane & Eastfield Road, Birmingham10,495 residents · 51.8% owned · 31.5% no carBordesley, Birmingham15,720 residents · 48.7% owned · 36.0% no carSaltley East, Birmingham12,396 residents · 45.6% owned · 36.9% no carSaltley West, Birmingham9,522 residents · 39.4% owned · 40.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Washwood Heath

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

Tenure

Owned46.7%
1,254 households
Social rented32.2%
865 households
Private rented19.9%
534 households
Lives rent free0.6%
16 households
Shared ownership0.5%
14 households
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached36.3%
974 households
Terraced32.5%
871 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement19.6%
526 households
Detached7.9%
211 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.8%
47 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.1%
30 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.7%
19 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.5%
1,194 households
No cars or vans in household33.8%
907 households
2 cars or vans in household16.1%
433 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.6%
149 households
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms52.6%
1,411 households
2 bedrooms19.7%
529 households
4 or more bedrooms16%
429 households
1 bedroom11.7%
314 households
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household62.8%
1,684 households
One-person household20.9%
559 households
Other household types16.3%
438 households
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household20.8%
559 households
2 people in household15.9%
426 households
5 people in household14.1%
378 households
4 people in household14.1%
377 households
3 people in household13.7%
367 households
6 people in household11.2%
301 households
7 people in household5.3%
143 households
8 or more people in household4.9%
132 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1527.3%
2,719 residents
15–2926.6%
2,648 residents
30–4421.3%
2,117 residents
45–6417.8%
1,768 residents
65 and over7.1%
708 residents
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh70.1%
6,984 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African11.8%
1,172 residents
White9.8%
978 residents
Other ethnic group5.2%
516 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.1%
306 residents
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications36.2%
2,545 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above17.4%
1,223 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.9%
975 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications13.5%
950 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications13.2%
927 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.3%
234 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.5%
179 residents aged 16 and over
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive53.2%
3,742 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)43%
3,024 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3.7%
262 residents aged 16 and over
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed31.1%
2,187 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students15.3%
1,076 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations13.6%
958 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.2%
786 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.2%
646 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations6.7%
474 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations6.7%
469 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.6%
256 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations2.6%
181 residents aged 16 and over
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.8%
4,864 residents
Good health32.9%
3,276 residents
Fair health12%
1,196 residents
Bad health4.8%
477 residents
Very bad health1.5%
146 residents
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.7%
8,530 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.3%
1,429 residents
Washwood Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension38.9%
1,044 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions25.9%
694 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension22.8%
611 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions11.8%
318 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.6%
17 households
Washwood Heath · 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.