Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002070

Smethwick South

Smethwick South is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,338 residents in Sandwell. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Sandwell
10,338

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,597

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

9,803.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

38.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

43.3%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

20.4%

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.

Winson Green & Gib Heath, Birmingham11,386 residents · 30.9% owned · 47.5% no carMiddlemore, Birmingham9,877 residents · 44.0% owned · 40.5% no carNorth Evington & Rowlatts Hill, Leicester11,176 residents · 46.4% owned · 33.5% no carHandsworth West, Birmingham8,471 residents · 44.5% owned · 40.4% no carPleck, Walsall8,555 residents · 45.7% owned · 33.2% no carNormanton South, Derby8,533 residents · 45.1% owned · 36.8% no car

Most similar within Sandwell

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Greets Green East, Sandwell7,059 residents · 41.3% owned · 42.4% no carOldbury & Rood End, Sandwell8,258 residents · 48.3% owned · 34.6% no carGreets Green West, Sandwell7,356 residents · 46.8% owned · 33.8% no carWest Bromwich East & Kenrick Park, Sandwell8,958 residents · 34.7% owned · 45.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Smethwick South

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

Tenure

Owned38.5%
1,384 households
Social rented30.7%
1,104 households
Private rented29.1%
1,048 households
Lives rent free1%
35 households
Shared ownership0.7%
26 households
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced42.2%
1,516 households
Semi-detached22.6%
813 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement21.5%
772 households
Detached8%
286 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits4.4%
159 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.8%
30 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.5%
18 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household43.3%
1,555 households
1 car or van in household39.4%
1,417 households
2 cars or vans in household13.2%
475 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.1%
148 households
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms46%
1,654 households
2 bedrooms26.8%
965 households
1 bedroom16.7%
600 households
4 or more bedrooms10.5%
376 households
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household54.8%
1,969 households
One-person household32.2%
1,157 households
Other household types13.1%
470 households
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household32.2%
1,157 households
2 people in household22.2%
797 households
4 people in household13.6%
489 households
3 people in household12.9%
464 households
5 people in household9.4%
339 households
6 people in household5.2%
188 households
7 people in household2.4%
86 households
8 or more people in household2.1%
75 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1523.9%
2,469 residents
15–2920.6%
2,127 residents
30–4422.7%
2,346 residents
45–6420.5%
2,123 residents
65 and over12.3%
1,274 residents
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh44.5%
4,596 residents
White26.7%
2,762 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African16.8%
1,738 residents
Other ethnic group6.8%
703 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5.2%
537 residents
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications34.2%
2,644 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above20.4%
1,573 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.6%
974 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications11.9%
916 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.6%
898 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications5.5%
426 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.7%
289 residents aged 16 and over
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)49.3%
3,805 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive46.9%
3,622 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3.8%
293 residents aged 16 and over
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed21.9%
1,687 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations21.1%
1,632 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.7%
1,055 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students11.7%
904 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.1%
699 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.7%
598 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations7.4%
574 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4%
308 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations3.4%
262 residents aged 16 and over
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.8%
4,837 residents
Good health32.4%
3,348 residents
Fair health13.5%
1,399 residents
Bad health5.5%
566 residents
Very bad health1.8%
188 residents
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act83.6%
8,638 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act16.4%
1,700 residents
Smethwick South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension38.7%
1,393 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension31.4%
1,128 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions22.5%
809 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7%
251 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
14 households
Smethwick South · 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.