Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003158

Babbacombe & Plainmoor

Babbacombe & Plainmoor is a Census neighbourhood of about 5,758 residents in Torbay. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Torbay
5,758

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,618

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,918.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

64.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

27.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

22.7%

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.

Minehead Town, Somerset West and Taunton7,437 residents · 64.5% owned · 24.2% no carWestgate, Thanet9,047 residents · 61.6% owned · 22.6% no carColwyn Bay North, Conwy6,957 residents · 51.9% owned · 31.9% no carHarwich Town & Dovercourt, Tendring6,418 residents · 50.5% owned · 32.0% no carTeignmouth South, Teignbridge6,602 residents · 51.9% owned · 33.7% no carBideford North, Torridge5,738 residents · 59.9% owned · 26.9% no car

Most similar within Torbay

The closest matches in the same local authority.

St Marychurch & Maidencombe, Torbay5,877 residents · 63.6% owned · 26.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Babbacombe & Plainmoor

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

Tenure

Owned64.2%
1,682 households
Private rented28.6%
749 households
Social rented7%
182 households
Shared ownership0.2%
5 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced34.8%
912 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement21.5%
563 households
Semi-detached21%
549 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits13.5%
353 households
Detached4.7%
124 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.5%
66 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.9%
50 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.8%
1,172 households
No cars or vans in household27.1%
710 households
2 cars or vans in household21.3%
558 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.8%
177 households
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms34.4%
900 households
2 bedrooms31.4%
821 households
4 or more bedrooms18.1%
474 households
1 bedroom16.1%
422 households
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household54.8%
1,435 households
One-person household38.6%
1,010 households
Other household types6.6%
173 households
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household38.6%
1,010 households
2 people in household32.8%
859 households
3 people in household13.4%
351 households
4 people in household9.3%
243 households
5 people in household3.3%
86 households
6 people in household1.7%
44 households
8 or more people in household0.5%
12 households
7 people in household0.4%
11 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1514.6%
840 residents
15–2915%
863 residents
30–4414.6%
842 residents
45–6426.5%
1,523 residents
65 and over29.3%
1,688 residents
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.1%
5,536 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.4%
82 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.4%
78 residents
Other ethnic group0.6%
36 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.5%
26 residents
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above22.7%
1,099 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications22.4%
1,087 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.7%
811 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.4%
745 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.4%
600 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.4%
358 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.1%
149 residents aged 16 and over
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)50.2%
2,434 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive48.1%
2,334 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.7%
82 residents aged 16 and over
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.2%
883 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations16.6%
803 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers13.7%
663 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations13.1%
635 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.7%
565 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.8%
427 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations6.6%
318 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.5%
317 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.9%
238 residents aged 16 and over
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health42%
2,418 residents
Good health33.5%
1,930 residents
Fair health17.2%
992 residents
Bad health5.6%
325 residents
Very bad health1.6%
93 residents
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act75.7%
4,359 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act24.3%
1,399 residents
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension39.8%
1,042 households
Household is deprived in one dimension37.7%
985 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.9%
467 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.1%
108 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
13 households
Babbacombe & Plainmoor · 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 Torbay

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.