Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003547

Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common

Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,087 residents in Portsmouth. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Portsmouth
8,087

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,387

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,445.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

44.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

34.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

46.3%

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.

West Cliff, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole7,458 residents · 49.5% owned · 28.6% no carWorcester Town North, Worcester7,335 residents · 44.8% owned · 36.0% no carTown Close, Norwich10,939 residents · 43.3% owned · 37.3% no carCentral Chichester, Chichester8,907 residents · 51.5% owned · 29.8% no carChester Boughton West & Hoole, Cheshire West and Chester8,568 residents · 34.3% owned · 38.9% no carYork City Centre, York11,347 residents · 30.2% owned · 52.2% no car

Most similar within Portsmouth

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Southsea West, Portsmouth6,748 residents · 36.6% owned · 38.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common

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

Tenure

Private rented46.1%
2,022 households
Owned44.8%
1,966 households
Social rented8.5%
373 households
Shared ownership0.5%
24 households
Lives rent free0%
2 households
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement53.2%
2,334 households
Terraced17.3%
757 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits14.5%
638 households
Semi-detached5.6%
244 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse4.9%
214 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.4%
104 households
Detached2.1%
94 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
2 households
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household46.9%
2,056 households
No cars or vans in household34.8%
1,525 households
2 cars or vans in household15.2%
665 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3.2%
139 households
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms43.3%
1,899 households
1 bedroom28.7%
1,258 households
3 bedrooms17.4%
762 households
4 or more bedrooms10.7%
468 households
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household48.4%
2,124 households
Single family household43.2%
1,895 households
Other household types8.4%
368 households
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household48.4%
2,122 households
2 people in household36.2%
1,585 households
3 people in household8.4%
368 households
4 people in household4.8%
210 households
5 people in household1.6%
69 households
6 people in household0.5%
23 households
7 people in household0.1%
3 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 158.1%
653 residents
15–2927.1%
2,192 residents
30–4419.6%
1,586 residents
45–6422.3%
1,805 residents
65 and over22.9%
1,851 residents
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White82.8%
6,702 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh7%
568 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.6%
290 residents
Other ethnic group3.3%
271 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.2%
260 residents
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above46.3%
3,425 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications20%
1,480 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications11.1%
825 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications9.4%
693 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications6.1%
453 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.1%
301 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.1%
227 residents aged 16 and over
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)52.2%
3,869 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.6%
3,157 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student5.1%
380 residents aged 16 and over
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.9%
1,695 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.4%
1,364 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students15.4%
1,137 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.6%
785 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.1%
673 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations7.9%
583 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations6.4%
471 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6%
447 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.3%
248 residents aged 16 and over
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47.4%
3,833 residents
Good health34.8%
2,817 residents
Fair health13%
1,055 residents
Bad health3.8%
304 residents
Very bad health0.9%
76 residents
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.5%
6,671 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.5%
1,416 residents
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension53.2%
2,333 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33%
1,447 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.3%
496 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.2%
98 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
13 households
Old Portsmouth & Southsea Common · 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.