Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003190

Boscombe West

Boscombe West is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,376 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
10,376

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,531

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

10,337.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

28.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

38.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.1%

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.

Pier, Eastbourne8,424 residents · 27.2% owned · 48.6% no carCentral St Leonards, Hastings8,221 residents · 32.7% owned · 49.7% no carFolkestone Harbour, Folkestone and Hythe6,544 residents · 27.1% owned · 50.3% no carWorthing Central, Worthing10,186 residents · 43.2% owned · 41.8% no carCentral Hastings, Hastings6,877 residents · 39.9% owned · 46.8% no carBognor Regis Central, Arun10,725 residents · 42.7% owned · 36.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Boscombe West

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

Tenure

Private rented60.3%
3,337 households
Owned28.5%
1,578 households
Social rented9.9%
547 households
Shared ownership1.2%
66 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement56.1%
3,104 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits26.7%
1,479 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse4.8%
267 households
Semi-detached4.4%
241 households
Terraced2.9%
163 households
Detached2.6%
146 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.3%
127 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household47%
2,601 households
No cars or vans in household38.8%
2,144 households
2 cars or vans in household12.1%
669 households
3 or more cars or vans in household2.1%
117 households
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom48.1%
2,661 households
2 bedrooms39.1%
2,163 households
3 bedrooms8.1%
447 households
4 or more bedrooms4.7%
258 households
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household50.3%
2,777 households
Single family household42.7%
2,361 households
Other household types7%
386 households
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household50.3%
2,777 households
2 people in household30.2%
1,669 households
3 people in household10.9%
604 households
4 people in household6.4%
352 households
5 people in household1.5%
81 households
6 people in household0.4%
24 households
7 people in household0.2%
12 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
7 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1513.7%
1,419 residents
15–2918.9%
1,961 residents
30–4428.7%
2,976 residents
45–6426%
2,701 residents
65 and over12.7%
1,321 residents
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White87.1%
9,036 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.9%
506 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.5%
367 residents
Other ethnic group2.5%
262 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.9%
202 residents
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.1%
2,944 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications19%
1,688 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16%
1,426 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.4%
1,106 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.9%
882 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.9%
524 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.8%
336 residents aged 16 and over
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63.7%
5,669 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive33.9%
3,020 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.4%
215 residents aged 16 and over
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.4%
1,461 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations16%
1,426 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations15.8%
1,407 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.7%
1,042 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.7%
865 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.9%
796 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.9%
791 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.5%
582 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6%
534 residents aged 16 and over
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44%
4,570 residents
Good health33.8%
3,510 residents
Fair health14.5%
1,504 residents
Bad health6.1%
634 residents
Very bad health1.5%
158 residents
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act78.5%
8,150 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act21.5%
2,226 residents
Boscombe West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension37.4%
2,067 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.3%
1,896 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions19.3%
1,070 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7.4%
407 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions1.6%
90 households
Boscombe West · 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.