Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002067

Rowley West

Rowley West is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,321 residents in Sandwell. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Sandwell
6,321

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,506

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,608.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

66.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

21.2%

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.

Whitton, Ipswich8,286 residents · 60.6% owned · 20.2% no carGainsborough, Greenwich & Orwell, Ipswich8,847 residents · 56.6% owned · 22.0% no carWood End, Wolverhampton8,302 residents · 67.3% owned · 23.0% no carFar Bletchley, Milton Keynes7,388 residents · 66.7% owned · 17.7% no carEttingshall Park, Wolverhampton6,488 residents · 67.7% owned · 24.1% no carBletchley North West, Milton Keynes8,263 residents · 62.1% owned · 20.1% no car

Most similar within Sandwell

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Princes End & Willingsworth, Sandwell6,309 residents · 59.2% owned · 24.3% no carTividale, Sandwell12,496 residents · 59.8% owned · 24.9% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Rowley West

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

Tenure

Owned66.4%
1,663 households
Social rented19.5%
488 households
Private rented13.1%
328 households
Lives rent free0.7%
18 households
Shared ownership0.4%
9 households
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached48.6%
1,216 households
Detached25.8%
645 households
Terraced19.6%
489 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement5.6%
141 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.2%
4 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
4 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0%
1 households
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.1%
1,079 households
2 cars or vans in household30.2%
757 households
No cars or vans in household17.8%
446 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.9%
222 households
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms67%
1,678 households
2 bedrooms15.4%
385 households
4 or more bedrooms11.9%
297 households
1 bedroom5.8%
144 households
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household70.4%
1,761 households
One-person household24.7%
618 households
Other household types4.9%
122 households
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34.3%
860 households
1 person in household24.8%
622 households
3 people in household18.2%
455 households
4 people in household13.6%
341 households
5 people in household6.3%
158 households
6 people in household2.2%
54 households
7 people in household0.5%
12 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.2%
1,212 residents
15–2917.6%
1,109 residents
30–4420.3%
1,281 residents
45–6423.7%
1,498 residents
65 and over19.3%
1,217 residents
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White82.5%
5,216 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh7.5%
473 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.5%
285 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.3%
211 residents
Other ethnic group2.1%
135 residents
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications26%
1,303 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above21.2%
1,065 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.6%
832 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16%
804 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.9%
548 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.6%
279 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.7%
188 residents aged 16 and over
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)57.1%
2,866 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive41.5%
2,086 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.4%
69 residents aged 16 and over
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.9%
846 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations16.6%
832 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations15.1%
756 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.4%
674 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed9.2%
463 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.3%
415 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8%
401 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.7%
337 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.9%
296 residents aged 16 and over
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44.2%
2,791 residents
Good health36.5%
2,305 residents
Fair health14%
888 residents
Bad health4.1%
258 residents
Very bad health1.2%
79 residents
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.2%
5,193 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.8%
1,128 residents
Rowley West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension43.2%
1,082 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.4%
887 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.5%
437 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.8%
95 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
3 households
Rowley 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.