Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002631

South Darwen & Whitehall

South Darwen & Whitehall is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,962 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
8,962

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,020

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

807.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

73.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

18.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

30.2%

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.

Horbury, Wakefield6,147 residents · 73.4% owned · 16.9% no carKirkham & Wesham, Fylde12,576 residents · 68.6% owned · 16.7% no carBlackrod & Butterwick Fields, Bolton6,303 residents · 77.0% owned · 13.9% no carQueensbury, Bradford11,568 residents · 73.4% owned · 18.6% no carSlaithwaite & Linthwaite, Kirklees6,967 residents · 72.4% owned · 19.1% no carOssett North, Wakefield9,081 residents · 69.1% owned · 17.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in South Darwen & Whitehall

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

Tenure

Owned73.8%
2,965 households
Private rented16.9%
680 households
Social rented8.6%
344 households
Shared ownership0.7%
29 households
Lives rent free0%
2 households
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced38.2%
1,535 households
Semi-detached26%
1,045 households
Detached24.5%
986 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement9.4%
379 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
41 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
18 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
13 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.2%
1,737 households
2 cars or vans in household29.2%
1,173 households
No cars or vans in household18.1%
727 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9.5%
381 households
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms39.2%
1,578 households
2 bedrooms33.4%
1,343 households
4 or more bedrooms21.1%
849 households
1 bedroom6.3%
253 households
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.1%
2,576 households
One-person household32.6%
1,309 households
Other household types3.3%
133 households
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household35.2%
1,413 households
1 person in household32.6%
1,309 households
3 people in household16.1%
645 households
4 people in household11.7%
471 households
5 people in household3.4%
137 households
6 people in household0.7%
27 households
7 people in household0.3%
12 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.8%
1,416 residents
15–2916.5%
1,478 residents
30–4417.8%
1,595 residents
45–6429.2%
2,617 residents
65 and over20.7%
1,857 residents
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.1%
8,610 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2.3%
206 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1%
91 residents
Other ethnic group0.4%
39 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.1%
12 residents
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above30.2%
2,253 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.3%
1,364 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications17.3%
1,290 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.3%
1,063 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.6%
793 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.9%
516 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
178 residents aged 16 and over
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)61.2%
4,559 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive37.1%
2,767 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.7%
129 residents aged 16 and over
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.3%
1,590 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14%
1,042 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.8%
953 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.8%
877 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.1%
825 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.8%
803 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.8%
510 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.5%
486 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5%
372 residents aged 16 and over
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47.9%
4,295 residents
Good health34.1%
3,057 residents
Fair health12.5%
1,120 residents
Bad health4.2%
380 residents
Very bad health1.2%
110 residents
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.7%
7,320 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.3%
1,642 residents
South Darwen & Whitehall · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension50.8%
2,040 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.4%
1,302 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13.4%
538 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.4%
136 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
2 households
South Darwen & Whitehall · 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.