Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002260

Sowerby Bridge

Sowerby Bridge is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,059 residents in Calderdale. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Calderdale
9,059

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,347

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,631.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

59.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

27.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

30.5%

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.

Glossop, High Peak10,153 residents · 61.8% owned · 24.7% no carSilsden, Bradford5,223 residents · 66.6% owned · 18.9% no carBingley Town, Bradford8,696 residents · 60.5% owned · 28.2% no carMacclesfield East & Hurdsfield, Cheshire East8,421 residents · 61.6% owned · 23.8% no carCleckheaton, Kirklees8,564 residents · 59.1% owned · 27.0% no carCongleton Town, Cheshire East7,516 residents · 63.9% owned · 18.3% no car

Most similar within Calderdale

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Elland, Calderdale10,303 residents · 57.8% owned · 26.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Sowerby Bridge

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

Tenure

Owned59%
2,564 households
Private rented23.8%
1,035 households
Social rented16.6%
722 households
Shared ownership0.6%
24 households
Lives rent free0%
2 households
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced46.2%
2,008 households
Semi-detached21.3%
924 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement16%
697 households
Detached9.8%
427 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse3.9%
168 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.3%
57 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.1%
46 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.5%
20 households
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.2%
1,964 households
No cars or vans in household27.5%
1,194 households
2 cars or vans in household21.8%
947 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.6%
242 households
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms35.4%
1,539 households
3 bedrooms34.1%
1,481 households
4 or more bedrooms16.4%
715 households
1 bedroom14.1%
612 households
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household57.6%
2,505 households
One-person household38.2%
1,663 households
Other household types4.1%
180 households
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household38.2%
1,663 households
2 people in household34.4%
1,494 households
3 people in household13.4%
582 households
4 people in household10.3%
447 households
5 people in household2.5%
109 households
6 people in household0.9%
41 households
7 people in household0.2%
9 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.8%
1,432 residents
15–2916.9%
1,529 residents
30–4419.4%
1,761 residents
45–6429.1%
2,632 residents
65 and over18.8%
1,704 residents
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White95.1%
8,609 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2.3%
210 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2%
181 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.4%
32 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
24 residents
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above30.5%
2,298 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.9%
1,424 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.3%
1,374 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.8%
1,039 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.7%
728 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.9%
523 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications1.9%
142 residents aged 16 and over
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)61.5%
4,627 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive37.4%
2,818 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.1%
81 residents aged 16 and over
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.1%
1,588 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14.5%
1,090 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13%
977 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.5%
943 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.7%
878 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.9%
745 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.4%
556 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.9%
442 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.1%
309 residents aged 16 and over
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44%
3,989 residents
Good health36%
3,258 residents
Fair health14.5%
1,316 residents
Bad health4.3%
389 residents
Very bad health1.2%
106 residents
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.1%
7,344 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.9%
1,715 residents
Sowerby Bridge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension47.8%
2,080 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.7%
1,466 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14%
609 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.1%
178 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
14 households
Sowerby Bridge · 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 Calderdale

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.