Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003545

Southsea West

Southsea West is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,748 residents in Portsmouth. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Portsmouth
6,748

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,495

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

11,795.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

36.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

38.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

45.8%

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.

Worcester Town North, Worcester7,335 residents · 44.8% owned · 36.0% no carCentral Bath & Lansdown, Bath and North East Somerset10,998 residents · 43.0% owned · 38.8% no carCentral Harrogate, Harrogate9,212 residents · 46.1% owned · 28.2% no carTown Close, Norwich10,939 residents · 43.3% owned · 37.3% no carMapperley Park, Nottingham8,745 residents · 45.7% owned · 35.8% no carEdgerton & Marsh, Kirklees6,535 residents · 44.6% owned · 38.5% no car

Most similar within Portsmouth

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common, Portsmouth8,087 residents · 44.8% owned · 34.8% no carSouthsea Waverley Road, Portsmouth6,165 residents · 53.0% owned · 29.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Southsea West

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

Tenure

Private rented48.6%
1,698 households
Owned36.6%
1,279 households
Social rented14.2%
498 households
Shared ownership0.4%
13 households
Lives rent free0.2%
7 households
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement43.5%
1,520 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits24.7%
863 households
Terraced11.7%
410 households
Semi-detached8.6%
300 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse4.3%
151 households
Detached4%
141 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop3.1%
108 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.3%
1,584 households
No cars or vans in household38.5%
1,344 households
2 cars or vans in household13%
454 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3.2%
112 households
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom36.4%
1,272 households
2 bedrooms33.8%
1,182 households
3 bedrooms15.8%
551 households
4 or more bedrooms14%
489 households
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household46.1%
1,608 households
Single family household43.7%
1,525 households
Other household types10.3%
358 households
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household46%
1,608 households
2 people in household34.7%
1,214 households
3 people in household10.2%
358 households
4 people in household6.1%
214 households
5 people in household1.8%
63 households
6 people in household0.6%
22 households
7 people in household0.3%
10 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 159.1%
614 residents
15–2928.3%
1,908 residents
30–4422.4%
1,512 residents
45–6423.3%
1,574 residents
65 and over16.9%
1,139 residents
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White83.6%
5,640 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh7.3%
491 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.5%
233 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.4%
231 residents
Other ethnic group2.2%
148 residents
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above45.8%
2,789 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19.7%
1,203 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications12.5%
760 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications9.7%
592 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications6.6%
403 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.6%
222 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.1%
127 residents aged 16 and over
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)57.7%
3,517 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive37.3%
2,272 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student5.1%
308 residents aged 16 and over
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.5%
1,370 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.6%
948 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students14%
854 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.5%
582 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.2%
563 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.7%
532 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8%
489 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8%
487 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.4%
271 residents aged 16 and over
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.6%
3,278 residents
Good health33.6%
2,270 residents
Fair health12.9%
868 residents
Bad health3.9%
260 residents
Very bad health1.1%
72 residents
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.8%
5,520 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.2%
1,228 residents
Southsea West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51.9%
1,815 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.2%
1,125 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions12%
420 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.7%
129 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
5 households
Southsea 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 Portsmouth

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.