Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003373

Hermitage & Cold Ash

Hermitage & Cold Ash is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,653 residents in West Berkshire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for West Berkshire
8,653

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,041

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

152.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

71.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

4.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

43.8%

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.

Woolton Hill, Burghclere & Bishops Green, Basingstoke and Deane7,570 residents · 71.1% owned · 5.3% no carNantwich South East & Wybunbury, Cheshire East8,635 residents · 82.1% owned · 4.4% no carGranborough, Stewkley & Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire7,468 residents · 74.6% owned · 5.8% no carFlitch Green, Felsted & High Easter, Uttlesford11,036 residents · 75.1% owned · 6.6% no carKingston Bagpuize & East Hanney, Vale of White Horse9,152 residents · 74.5% owned · 5.3% no carWheelerstreet, Wormley & Hambledon, Waverley7,164 residents · 75.2% owned · 6.2% no car

Most similar within West Berkshire

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Chieveley, East Isley & Compton, West Berkshire6,532 residents · 66.4% owned · 6.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Hermitage & Cold Ash

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

Tenure

Owned71.2%
2,166 households
Private rented18.5%
563 households
Social rented8.9%
272 households
Shared ownership1.3%
40 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached57.2%
1,739 households
Semi-detached28.2%
859 households
Terraced10%
305 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement2.6%
80 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.8%
24 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.8%
23 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.3%
10 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.1%
2 households
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

2 cars or vans in household43.3%
1,316 households
1 car or van in household27.6%
840 households
3 or more cars or vans in household24.3%
740 households
No cars or vans in household4.8%
145 households
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

4 or more bedrooms46.4%
1,413 households
3 bedrooms34.7%
1,056 households
2 bedrooms15.7%
478 households
1 bedroom3.1%
95 households
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household76.5%
2,328 households
One-person household18.4%
561 households
Other household types5.1%
156 households
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household36.3%
1,105 households
4 people in household19.1%
581 households
3 people in household19%
578 households
1 person in household18.4%
561 households
5 people in household5.5%
167 households
6 people in household1.4%
42 households
7 people in household0.2%
7 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.6%
1,784 residents
15–2916.4%
1,421 residents
30–4416.2%
1,404 residents
45–6429.5%
2,557 residents
65 and over17.2%
1,490 residents
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White93.8%
8,116 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2.4%
211 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.1%
184 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.9%
81 residents
Other ethnic group0.8%
65 residents
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above43.8%
2,937 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.5%
1,172 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.1%
1,016 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications9.9%
663 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.8%
525 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.8%
258 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2%
137 residents aged 16 and over
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63.1%
4,232 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive34.9%
2,345 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2%
134 residents aged 16 and over
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.3%
1,631 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations23%
1,540 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.6%
779 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.6%
775 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students8.4%
560 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations7.8%
522 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations6%
403 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4%
269 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed3.4%
227 residents aged 16 and over
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health58%
5,020 residents
Good health31%
2,686 residents
Fair health8.9%
774 residents
Bad health1.6%
141 residents
Very bad health0.4%
35 residents
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act88%
7,616 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act12%
1,039 residents
Hermitage & Cold Ash · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension63.3%
1,925 households
Household is deprived in one dimension28.4%
863 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions7.2%
219 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1%
29 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
6 households
Hermitage & Cold Ash · 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.

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.