Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003176

West Howe

West Howe is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,494 residents in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
7,494

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,047

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,470.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

42.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

25.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

18.9%

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.

Weston Bournville, North Somerset7,866 residents · 34.8% owned · 35.7% no carDane Valley & Northdown Hill, Thanet7,721 residents · 50.4% owned · 28.7% no carErmine, Lincoln6,642 residents · 39.3% owned · 34.2% no carNewington, Thanet8,925 residents · 46.4% owned · 30.7% no carHollington, Hastings8,106 residents · 41.7% owned · 30.6% no carWhitehawk, Brighton and Hove9,089 residents · 25.2% owned · 44.2% no car

Most similar within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Townsend & Strouden, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole6,451 residents · 54.1% owned · 24.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in West Howe

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

Tenure

Social rented44.2%
1,346 households
Owned42.3%
1,288 households
Private rented12.2%
371 households
Shared ownership0.8%
23 households
Lives rent free0.6%
19 households
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached37.5%
1,144 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement26.5%
808 households
Detached17.1%
521 households
Terraced16.3%
496 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.6%
50 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.8%
24 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.2%
1,255 households
No cars or vans in household25.5%
778 households
2 cars or vans in household23.7%
722 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9.6%
293 households
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms39.8%
1,212 households
3 bedrooms34.6%
1,054 households
1 bedroom16.6%
505 households
4 or more bedrooms9.1%
277 households
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household61.3%
1,867 households
One-person household30.5%
929 households
Other household types8.2%
251 households
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household30.5%
929 households
2 people in household29.9%
911 households
3 people in household17.2%
523 households
4 people in household13.6%
416 households
5 people in household5.4%
166 households
6 people in household2.2%
68 households
7 people in household0.9%
28 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
8 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.2%
1,516 residents
15–2918.7%
1,404 residents
30–4420.3%
1,522 residents
45–6425.5%
1,911 residents
65 and over15.2%
1,141 residents
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White93%
6,967 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.7%
206 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2%
150 residents
Other ethnic group1.4%
107 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.9%
65 residents
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications26.3%
1,543 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above18.9%
1,107 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16%
941 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.8%
927 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications14%
824 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6%
353 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
175 residents aged 16 and over
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)55%
3,226 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.6%
2,503 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.4%
141 residents aged 16 and over
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L12 Semi-routine occupations18.5%
1,086 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations17.1%
1,005 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.6%
800 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed11.8%
693 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.8%
634 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10%
587 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.8%
397 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.3%
367 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations5.1%
300 residents aged 16 and over
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health40.4%
3,025 residents
Good health33.4%
2,504 residents
Fair health16.3%
1,223 residents
Bad health7.2%
540 residents
Very bad health2.7%
202 residents
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act73.8%
5,532 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act26.2%
1,962 residents
West Howe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension34.9%
1,064 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension29.4%
895 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions25.7%
782 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions9.1%
278 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions1%
29 households
West Howe · 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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

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.