Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002620

Central Blackburn

Central Blackburn is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,071 residents in Blackburn with Darwen. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Blackburn with Darwen
9,071

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,418

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,698.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

32.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

47.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

21.5%

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.

Ashton Central, Tameside11,205 residents · 26.6% owned · 48.2% no carCentral Rochdale & Mandale Park, Rochdale12,014 residents · 35.4% owned · 46.6% no carHalliwell & Brownlow Fold, Bolton9,047 residents · 37.6% owned · 39.5% no carBroomfields & East Bowling, Bradford6,211 residents · 32.8% owned · 51.4% no carRose Hill & Castleward, Derby11,564 residents · 33.7% owned · 46.8% no carWalsall Central, Walsall10,861 residents · 29.6% owned · 46.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Central Blackburn

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

Tenure

Social rented44.1%
1,508 households
Owned32.6%
1,114 households
Private rented22.8%
779 households
Shared ownership0.4%
15 households
Lives rent free0.1%
2 households
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced38.8%
1,328 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement35%
1,195 households
Semi-detached16.7%
570 households
Detached4.8%
163 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.2%
75 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.7%
58 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.8%
28 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household47%
1,608 households
1 car or van in household36.7%
1,255 households
2 cars or vans in household12.7%
433 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3.6%
123 households
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms35.4%
1,211 households
3 bedrooms26.4%
901 households
1 bedroom23%
785 households
4 or more bedrooms15.3%
522 households
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household50.5%
1,727 households
One-person household40.3%
1,376 households
Other household types9.2%
315 households
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household40.2%
1,376 households
2 people in household19.2%
657 households
3 people in household12.4%
424 households
4 people in household12%
410 households
5 people in household8.6%
294 households
6 people in household4.4%
150 households
7 people in household1.7%
58 households
8 or more people in household1.5%
50 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1522.1%
2,000 residents
15–2921.6%
1,962 residents
30–4422.3%
2,019 residents
45–6422.1%
2,005 residents
65 and over12%
1,084 residents
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh57%
5,171 residents
White34.8%
3,155 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.3%
296 residents
Other ethnic group2.8%
257 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.1%
194 residents
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications33.8%
2,345 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above21.5%
1,495 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.1%
907 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.8%
891 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.2%
781 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications4.1%
282 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.5%
243 residents aged 16 and over
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive51.9%
3,607 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)45.2%
3,139 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.9%
201 residents aged 16 and over
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed24.4%
1,697 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations17%
1,184 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.5%
869 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students11.2%
780 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.2%
641 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.2%
636 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.3%
509 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.6%
319 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations4.5%
311 residents aged 16 and over
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.4%
4,120 residents
Good health30.8%
2,790 residents
Fair health14.5%
1,312 residents
Bad health7.1%
646 residents
Very bad health2.2%
203 residents
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act78.4%
7,108 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act21.6%
1,963 residents
Central Blackburn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension35.8%
1,224 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension28.4%
971 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions23.9%
817 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions11.2%
384 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.7%
23 households
Central Blackburn · 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 Blackburn with Darwen

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.