Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003123

Southway

Southway is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,727 residents in Plymouth. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Plymouth
8,727

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,736

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,171

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

54.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

23.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

22.1%

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.

Offerton West, Stockport7,438 residents · 58.2% owned · 25.0% no carWinsford Over, Cheshire West and Chester6,516 residents · 46.1% owned · 23.5% no carRose Hill & Burnley Wood, Burnley10,746 residents · 64.7% owned · 27.8% no carMeadowhead, Blackburn with Darwen7,278 residents · 60.5% owned · 29.6% no carMacclesfield Weston, Cheshire East6,865 residents · 62.2% owned · 21.6% no carHebburn North, South Tyneside9,055 residents · 51.2% owned · 34.5% no car

Most similar within Plymouth

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Tamerton Foliot, Plymouth8,304 residents · 52.6% owned · 24.2% no carDeer Park & Leigham, Plymouth7,287 residents · 62.0% owned · 20.9% no carEfford, Laira & Crabtree, Plymouth9,206 residents · 55.5% owned · 26.5% no carKeyham, Plymouth7,076 residents · 45.4% owned · 29.2% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Southway

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

Tenure

Owned54.4%
2,033 households
Social rented30.7%
1,147 households
Private rented12.2%
454 households
Shared ownership2.6%
98 households
Lives rent free0.1%
4 households
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced50.4%
1,881 households
Semi-detached25.3%
946 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement11.6%
433 households
Detached11.2%
420 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
39 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.2%
9 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
5 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.5%
1,701 households
2 cars or vans in household24.4%
911 households
No cars or vans in household23.7%
886 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.3%
237 households
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms43.6%
1,630 households
2 bedrooms34.8%
1,299 households
4 or more bedrooms11.5%
431 households
1 bedroom10%
375 households
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household67.4%
2,516 households
One-person household28.8%
1,074 households
Other household types3.9%
145 households
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34.8%
1,299 households
1 person in household28.7%
1,072 households
3 people in household18.4%
686 households
4 people in household12.5%
465 households
5 people in household4.1%
154 households
6 people in household1%
38 households
7 people in household0.3%
11 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.1%
1,753 residents
15–2917.5%
1,530 residents
30–4418.8%
1,644 residents
45–6425%
2,179 residents
65 and over18.6%
1,621 residents
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.6%
8,424 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.2%
105 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1%
90 residents
Other ethnic group0.6%
55 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.6%
50 residents
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above22.1%
1,518 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications21.4%
1,470 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19%
1,308 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.4%
1,060 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.4%
782 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship8.2%
565 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.5%
172 residents aged 16 and over
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56%
3,851 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.2%
2,901 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.8%
123 residents aged 16 and over
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations17.7%
1,214 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations16.7%
1,149 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations16%
1,100 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.5%
858 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed9.4%
643 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.2%
564 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations7.1%
487 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations6.6%
453 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.9%
407 residents aged 16 and over
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45%
3,930 residents
Good health33.6%
2,929 residents
Fair health14.3%
1,247 residents
Bad health5.6%
491 residents
Very bad health1.5%
129 residents
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act76.9%
6,711 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act23.1%
2,016 residents
Southway · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension39.7%
1,482 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.5%
1,326 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions20.1%
750 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.6%
171 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
6 households
Southway · 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 Plymouth

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.