Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003370

Purley on Thames

Purley on Thames is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,730 residents in West Berkshire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for West Berkshire

6,730

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,723

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

556

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

82.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

7.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

39.7%

Adults with a degree or above

ONS Census 2021 · qualifications

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Purley on Thames

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

Tenure

Owned82.5%

2,246 households

Private rented11.4%

310 households

Social rented5.3%

144 households

Shared ownership0.8%

23 households

Lives rent free0%

0 households

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached51.8%

1,409 households

Semi-detached26.7%

726 households

Terraced12%

327 households

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement7.2%

196 households

Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.3%

34 households

Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.5%

14 households

In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%

7 households

A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.2%

5 households

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

2 cars or vans in household39%

1,061 households

1 car or van in household37.9%

1,030 households

3 or more cars or vans in household15.6%

425 households

No cars or vans in household7.5%

203 households

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

4 or more bedrooms45.2%

1,228 households

3 bedrooms31.5%

857 households

2 bedrooms17.5%

476 households

1 bedroom5.8%

158 households

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household71.7%

1,953 households

One-person household23.1%

630 households

Other household types5.1%

139 households

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household38.6%

1,051 households

1 person in household23.1%

630 households

4 people in household16%

437 households

3 people in household16%

436 households

5 people in household4.7%

127 households

6 people in household1.2%

33 households

7 people in household0.3%

7 households

8 or more people in household0.1%

2 households

0 people in household0%

0 households

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.5%

1,112 residents

15–2913.4%

900 residents

30–4417.3%

1,166 residents

45–6430.2%

2,034 residents

65 and over22.6%

1,519 residents

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White88.8%

5,979 residents

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh4.7%

315 residents

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.3%

220 residents

Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.2%

147 residents

Other ethnic group1.1%

72 residents

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above39.7%

2,204 residents aged 16 and over

Level 3 qualifications16.8%

930 residents aged 16 and over

Level 2 qualifications13.7%

762 residents aged 16 and over

No qualifications12.4%

688 residents aged 16 and over

Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.2%

508 residents aged 16 and over

Apprenticeship6%

333 residents aged 16 and over

Other qualifications2.2%

122 residents aged 16 and over

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60.3%

3,347 residents aged 16 and over

Economically inactive38.1%

2,115 residents aged 16 and over

Economically active and a full-time student1.6%

87 residents aged 16 and over

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.2%

1,343 residents aged 16 and over

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.7%

1,205 residents aged 16 and over

L7 Intermediate occupations13.6%

755 residents aged 16 and over

L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.3%

570 residents aged 16 and over

L12 Semi-routine occupations9.1%

503 residents aged 16 and over

L13 Routine occupations7.1%

393 residents aged 16 and over

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.2%

291 residents aged 16 and over

L15 Full-time students4.5%

249 residents aged 16 and over

L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.2%

234 residents aged 16 and over

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health51.7%

3,481 residents

Good health34.6%

2,330 residents

Fair health10.9%

736 residents

Bad health2.1%

140 residents

Very bad health0.7%

44 residents

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.5%

5,821 residents

Disabled under the Equality Act13.5%

910 residents

Purley on Thames · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension60.4%

1,642 households

Household is deprived in one dimension30%

816 households

Household is deprived in two dimensions8.5%

231 households

Household is deprived in three dimensions1.1%

29 households

Household is deprived in four dimensions0%

1 households

Purley on Thames · 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 West Berkshire

Evidence ledger

Source and date are part of the record.

All statistics on this pageONS · Census 2021, Open Government Licence v3.0
Neighbourhood nameHouse of Commons Library · MSOA Names, Open Parliament Licence
GeographyONS Middle layer Super Output Area E02003370

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.

Purley on Thames

Usual residents

Households

Residents per km²

Households owning their home

Households with no car or van

Adults with a degree or above

Neighbourhoods most like this one

Life in Purley on Thames

Tenure

Accommodation type

Car or van availability

Number of bedrooms

Household composition

Household size

Age

Ethnic group

Highest qualification

Economic activity

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

General health

Disability

Household deprivation

Alike on the Census, which is not the same as alike to live in.

Source and date are part of the record.