Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002065

Smethwick North & West

Smethwick North & West is a Census neighbourhood of about 14,169 residents in Sandwell. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Sandwell
14,169

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,143

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,043.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

50.1%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

32.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

21.9%

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.

Middlemore, Birmingham9,877 residents · 44.0% owned · 40.5% no carHandsworth West, Birmingham8,471 residents · 44.5% owned · 40.4% no carHandsworth South, Birmingham11,402 residents · 43.0% owned · 44.7% no carYardley Fields, Birmingham11,587 residents · 47.3% owned · 32.3% no carHayes Town North, Hillingdon9,554 residents · 40.1% owned · 31.0% no carBaylis & Stoke, Slough12,243 residents · 49.6% owned · 19.0% no car

Most similar within Sandwell

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Smethwick South East, Sandwell8,075 residents · 41.0% owned · 37.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Smethwick North & West

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

Tenure

Owned50.1%
2,076 households
Private rented29.7%
1,229 households
Social rented18.6%
772 households
Lives rent free1%
43 households
Shared ownership0.6%
23 households
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced39.9%
1,655 households
Semi-detached37.5%
1,556 households
Detached11.3%
468 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement9.1%
376 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.2%
49 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.8%
33 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
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.4%
1,714 households
No cars or vans in household32.5%
1,346 households
2 cars or vans in household19.4%
805 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.7%
279 households
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms53.3%
2,209 households
2 bedrooms20.7%
859 households
4 or more bedrooms19.1%
790 households
1 bedroom6.9%
286 households
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household61.2%
2,538 households
One-person household19.6%
812 households
Other household types19.2%
794 households
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

4 people in household19.8%
820 households
1 person in household19.6%
812 households
2 people in household18.5%
765 households
3 people in household15.5%
644 households
5 people in household13.7%
567 households
6 people in household6.9%
284 households
7 people in household3.6%
149 households
8 or more people in household2.5%
104 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1523.8%
3,376 residents
15–2922.7%
3,216 residents
30–4423.2%
3,292 residents
45–6420.7%
2,939 residents
65 and over9.5%
1,349 residents
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh64.1%
9,079 residents
White14.2%
2,009 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African10.4%
1,471 residents
Other ethnic group8.2%
1,166 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.1%
445 residents
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications34.5%
3,645 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above21.9%
2,318 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.5%
1,324 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications11.5%
1,218 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.2%
1,179 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications5.5%
582 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.9%
303 residents aged 16 and over
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)50.6%
5,344 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive45%
4,751 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student4.5%
471 residents aged 16 and over
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed22.7%
2,402 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations19%
2,012 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students13.7%
1,450 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.1%
1,173 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.4%
992 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations7.7%
813 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.7%
812 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.6%
488 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations4%
428 residents aged 16 and over
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.1%
6,818 residents
Good health33.3%
4,725 residents
Fair health12.9%
1,834 residents
Bad health4.3%
606 residents
Very bad health1.3%
185 residents
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act87%
12,328 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13%
1,841 residents
Smethwick North & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension38.8%
1,608 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension32.9%
1,365 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions21%
871 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.8%
281 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
19 households
Smethwick North & 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 Sandwell

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.