Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002628

North Darwen

North Darwen is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,848 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
6,848

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,118

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,789.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

59.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

29.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

26.5%

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.

Waterfoot & Stacksteads, Rossendale12,375 residents · 60.7% owned · 23.0% no carPadiham, Burnley9,325 residents · 52.2% owned · 30.6% no carColne Waterside, Pendle5,423 residents · 54.0% owned · 30.8% no carOswaldtwistle, Hyndburn7,289 residents · 60.4% owned · 26.9% no carChurch, Hyndburn5,342 residents · 57.2% owned · 29.6% no carAccrington North East, Hyndburn12,511 residents · 57.4% owned · 30.9% no car

Most similar within Blackburn with Darwen

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Darwen Town, Blackburn with Darwen6,342 residents · 51.9% owned · 32.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in North Darwen

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

Tenure

Owned59.6%
1,857 households
Private rented24.9%
775 households
Social rented15%
469 households
Shared ownership0.5%
15 households
Lives rent free0.1%
2 households
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced52%
1,621 households
Semi-detached24.2%
753 households
Detached11.6%
362 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement8.9%
277 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.7%
54 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%
29 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.7%
21 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.2%
1,315 households
No cars or vans in household29.4%
915 households
2 cars or vans in household23.1%
719 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.4%
167 households
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms41.5%
1,295 households
2 bedrooms37.8%
1,179 households
4 or more bedrooms10.6%
330 households
1 bedroom10%
313 households
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household58.6%
1,827 households
One-person household36.8%
1,148 households
Other household types4.5%
141 households
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household36.9%
1,149 households
2 people in household33.2%
1,036 households
3 people in household15%
468 households
4 people in household9.7%
303 households
5 people in household3.4%
106 households
6 people in household1.3%
41 households
7 people in household0.3%
10 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.7%
1,141 residents
15–2917.6%
1,205 residents
30–4419.6%
1,343 residents
45–6427.3%
1,871 residents
65 and over18.8%
1,288 residents
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White94.1%
6,444 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.2%
220 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.7%
115 residents
Other ethnic group0.5%
37 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.5%
31 residents
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above26.5%
1,494 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications21.2%
1,193 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.9%
954 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.7%
827 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11%
618 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.8%
384 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
166 residents aged 16 and over
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.6%
3,193 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive41.5%
2,337 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.9%
108 residents aged 16 and over
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.3%
1,033 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations16.1%
910 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.7%
772 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.9%
727 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed10.3%
579 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9%
505 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations7.8%
438 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.3%
356 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.6%
316 residents aged 16 and over
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.9%
3,006 residents
Good health33%
2,259 residents
Fair health15%
1,026 residents
Bad health6.4%
435 residents
Very bad health1.8%
123 residents
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act76.5%
5,237 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act23.5%
1,612 residents
North Darwen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension41.4%
1,290 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.3%
1,069 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.7%
551 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.4%
199 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
10 households
North Darwen · 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.