Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003214

Penhill

Penhill is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,859 residents in Swindon. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Swindon
6,859

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,811

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,769.5

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

35.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

37.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

14.1%

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.

Weston, Southampton6,201 residents · 36.0% owned · 31.7% no carWarndon West, Worcester5,530 residents · 33.1% owned · 38.4% no carLeigh Park, Havant6,384 residents · 40.4% owned · 27.0% no carWest Leigh, Havant6,852 residents · 47.3% owned · 29.3% no carHightown, Southampton6,534 residents · 36.6% owned · 30.4% no carRedbridge & Millbrook West, Southampton7,468 residents · 38.2% owned · 30.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Penhill

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

Tenure

Social rented55.9%
1,571 households
Owned35.6%
1,002 households
Private rented7.6%
213 households
Shared ownership0.5%
14 households
Lives rent free0.4%
11 households
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced41.4%
1,165 households
Semi-detached26.7%
752 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement25.8%
727 households
Detached4.6%
130 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
27 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%
8 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
2 households
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household39.1%
1,098 households
No cars or vans in household37.7%
1,060 households
2 cars or vans in household18.4%
517 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.8%
135 households
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms42.8%
1,203 households
3 bedrooms41.2%
1,159 households
1 bedroom12%
337 households
4 or more bedrooms4%
112 households
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household65.8%
1,849 households
One-person household29.3%
823 households
Other household types4.9%
138 households
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household30.2%
850 households
1 person in household29.3%
823 households
3 people in household19.3%
542 households
4 people in household13.6%
383 households
5 people in household5.1%
142 households
6 people in household1.7%
48 households
7 people in household0.5%
13 households
8 or more people in household0.4%
10 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1525.8%
1,769 residents
15–2918%
1,234 residents
30–4420.2%
1,386 residents
45–6422.7%
1,554 residents
65 and over13.4%
916 residents
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White91.3%
6,260 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.3%
226 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3%
209 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.6%
107 residents
Other ethnic group0.8%
57 residents
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications26.8%
1,340 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications19.3%
966 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications17.7%
882 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above14.1%
705 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications13.3%
666 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.7%
284 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
150 residents aged 16 and over
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)55.7%
2,785 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.7%
2,134 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
77 residents aged 16 and over
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations22.2%
1,108 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations18.6%
928 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed12%
599 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.5%
575 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.7%
535 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.2%
409 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations7.3%
364 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.5%
273 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations4.1%
206 residents aged 16 and over
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health41.4%
2,839 residents
Good health34.8%
2,386 residents
Fair health16.2%
1,114 residents
Bad health6.2%
425 residents
Very bad health1.4%
95 residents
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act76.2%
5,227 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act23.8%
1,632 residents
Penhill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension36.9%
1,037 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension28.3%
797 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions25%
702 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions9.3%
261 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
15 households
Penhill · 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 Swindon

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.