Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003337

Rochester South West

Rochester South West is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,419 residents in Medway. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Medway
7,419

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,677

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,480.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

67.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

16.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

27.6%

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.

Mote Park, Maidstone8,100 residents · 65.8% owned · 17.5% no carFaversham West, Swale8,973 residents · 70.4% owned · 15.7% no carNorth Witham, Braintree9,767 residents · 69.3% owned · 16.2% no carHavering-atte-Bower & Chase Cross, Havering9,069 residents · 64.1% owned · 20.3% no carSittingbourne West, Swale8,164 residents · 76.3% owned · 16.4% no carGreat Cornard, Babergh9,950 residents · 66.2% owned · 14.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Rochester South West

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

Tenure

Owned67.9%
1,819 households
Social rented16.8%
451 households
Private rented13.8%
370 households
Shared ownership1.3%
36 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached51%
1,364 households
Terraced24.9%
667 households
Detached11.2%
300 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement9.6%
258 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure2.1%
56 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.7%
18 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
10 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household39.8%
1,066 households
2 cars or vans in household32.1%
858 households
No cars or vans in household16.4%
438 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.8%
315 households
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms48.5%
1,297 households
2 bedrooms28.4%
760 households
4 or more bedrooms15.9%
424 households
1 bedroom7.2%
192 households
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household69.1%
1,848 households
One-person household25.3%
678 households
Other household types5.6%
150 households
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34%
910 households
1 person in household25.4%
678 households
3 people in household17.7%
473 households
4 people in household15.9%
426 households
5 people in household5.1%
137 households
6 people in household1.2%
31 households
8 or more people in household0.4%
11 households
7 people in household0.3%
8 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.4%
1,293 residents
15–2918.8%
1,394 residents
30–4421.2%
1,570 residents
45–6426.8%
1,987 residents
65 and over15.8%
1,174 residents
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White85.2%
6,324 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh5.5%
407 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.2%
313 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.9%
291 residents
Other ethnic group1.1%
85 residents
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above27.6%
1,668 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications20.4%
1,233 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.4%
993 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.4%
869 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12%
728 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.1%
369 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.1%
187 residents aged 16 and over
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.9%
3,439 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive41.7%
2,521 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.4%
86 residents aged 16 and over
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.5%
1,118 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers13.4%
809 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.9%
781 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.8%
711 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.5%
694 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed10.7%
647 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.5%
574 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.3%
382 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.5%
331 residents aged 16 and over
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.6%
3,382 residents
Good health35.6%
2,642 residents
Fair health14.3%
1,058 residents
Bad health3.7%
273 residents
Very bad health0.9%
66 residents
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.1%
6,020 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.9%
1,399 residents
Rochester South West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension48%
1,284 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.8%
932 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13.5%
362 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.6%
95 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
3 households
Rochester South 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.