Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003225

Westlea & Shaw

Westlea & Shaw is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,434 residents in Swindon. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Swindon
6,434

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,834

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,232.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

67.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

13.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

30.9%

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.

Biggleswade West, Central Bedfordshire11,314 residents · 64.0% owned · 16.9% no carNewport Pagnell South, Milton Keynes8,108 residents · 70.5% owned · 13.2% no carStowmarket East & Needham Market North, Mid Suffolk12,792 residents · 68.4% owned · 11.7% no carWickford South, Basildon9,722 residents · 69.4% owned · 11.6% no carBanbury Calthorpe, Cherwell5,648 residents · 68.3% owned · 17.3% no carSt Ives North, Huntingdonshire9,600 residents · 71.4% owned · 13.0% no car

Most similar within Swindon

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Freshbrook North & Grange Park, Swindon5,664 residents · 73.3% owned · 10.2% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Westlea & Shaw

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

Tenure

Owned67.4%
1,911 households
Private rented26.9%
763 households
Social rented4.3%
122 households
Shared ownership1.1%
30 households
Lives rent free0.3%
8 households
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached36.6%
1,036 households
Terraced25.6%
724 households
Semi-detached22.6%
639 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement11.7%
331 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.7%
49 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 shop0.9%
25 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.7%
1,294 households
2 cars or vans in household31.1%
882 households
No cars or vans in household13.7%
387 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9.5%
269 households
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms29.9%
846 households
2 bedrooms27.3%
773 households
4 or more bedrooms26.5%
752 households
1 bedroom16.3%
462 households
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.6%
1,832 households
One-person household30.5%
866 households
Other household types4.9%
140 households
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household35.5%
1,005 households
1 person in household30.6%
867 households
3 people in household16.1%
455 households
4 people in household13.7%
387 households
5 people in household3.1%
88 households
6 people in household1%
27 households
7 people in household0.1%
4 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.1%
1,097 residents
15–2917.2%
1,109 residents
30–4422.6%
1,451 residents
45–6428.3%
1,819 residents
65 and over14.9%
958 residents
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White83.6%
5,380 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh8.3%
537 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.9%
188 residents
Other ethnic group2.8%
183 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.3%
147 residents
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above30.9%
1,630 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.5%
922 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16.8%
888 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications13.6%
719 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12%
634 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6%
316 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.1%
164 residents aged 16 and over
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)66.7%
3,517 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive32%
1,689 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.3%
67 residents aged 16 and over
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.2%
1,118 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14.8%
781 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.2%
746 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations13.3%
702 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12%
635 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.5%
447 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.1%
324 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.6%
297 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.2%
220 residents aged 16 and over
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health49.4%
3,178 residents
Good health35.6%
2,293 residents
Fair health11.3%
724 residents
Bad health3%
196 residents
Very bad health0.7%
43 residents
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.4%
5,495 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.6%
939 residents
Westlea & Shaw · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension52.6%
1,490 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.6%
953 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.2%
316 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.3%
66 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
8 households
Westlea & Shaw · 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.