Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003327

Rochester West

Rochester West is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,458 residents in Medway. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Medway
7,458

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,661

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,059.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

42.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

27.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

39.8%

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.

Horsham Central, Horsham11,286 residents · 53.0% owned · 26.6% no carCastle & Kingsway, Bedford10,648 residents · 38.8% owned · 36.7% no carWorcester Town South, Worcester7,459 residents · 44.5% owned · 33.0% no carAbingdon Town & West, Vale of White Horse10,981 residents · 52.2% owned · 23.3% no carCentral Colchester, Colchester11,314 residents · 45.9% owned · 34.3% no carAylesbury Central, Buckinghamshire7,598 residents · 45.3% owned · 29.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Rochester West

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

Tenure

Owned42.4%
1,552 households
Private rented32%
1,172 households
Social rented23.4%
858 households
Shared ownership2.1%
77 households
Lives rent free0.1%
2 households
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement44.9%
1,643 households
Terraced26%
952 households
Semi-detached10.9%
400 households
Detached6.9%
251 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits5.7%
207 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop3%
110 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.6%
97 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household49.2%
1,802 households
No cars or vans in household27.1%
991 households
2 cars or vans in household18.4%
672 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.3%
195 households
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms37.4%
1,370 households
1 bedroom26.7%
978 households
3 bedrooms22.3%
815 households
4 or more bedrooms13.6%
499 households
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household53.4%
1,955 households
One-person household41.1%
1,504 households
Other household types5.5%
203 households
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household41.1%
1,504 households
2 people in household33.4%
1,223 households
3 people in household13.3%
487 households
4 people in household8.8%
322 households
5 people in household2.6%
96 households
6 people in household0.5%
18 households
7 people in household0.2%
9 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.8%
1,179 residents
15–2919.9%
1,481 residents
30–4421.8%
1,629 residents
45–6426.7%
1,993 residents
65 and over15.7%
1,174 residents
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White85.6%
6,388 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh5.6%
418 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.2%
311 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.3%
248 residents
Other ethnic group1.3%
95 residents
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above39.8%
2,469 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.5%
1,027 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications14.4%
892 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.4%
835 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.5%
590 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.4%
271 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2%
127 residents aged 16 and over
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63.6%
3,953 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive34.5%
2,144 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.9%
118 residents aged 16 and over
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.1%
1,499 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.7%
977 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.2%
696 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10.7%
662 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.5%
652 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.8%
611 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.9%
491 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6%
371 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.1%
252 residents aged 16 and over
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health49.8%
3,718 residents
Good health32.6%
2,432 residents
Fair health12.5%
932 residents
Bad health4%
297 residents
Very bad health1.1%
80 residents
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.2%
6,128 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.8%
1,330 residents
Rochester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension49.4%
1,810 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.6%
1,192 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13.6%
497 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.9%
143 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
20 households
Rochester 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 Medway

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.