Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003559

Upper Shirley

Upper Shirley is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,837 residents in Southampton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Southampton
7,837

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,044

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,176.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

74.1%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

15.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

46.9%

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.

High Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne9,695 residents · 79.6% owned · 18.0% no carCaversham Balmore Park, Reading8,588 residents · 77.0% owned · 16.4% no carCaversham Emmer Green, Reading7,997 residents · 81.7% owned · 11.7% no carIckenham, Hillingdon7,643 residents · 81.6% owned · 10.1% no carBishop's Stortford East, East Hertfordshire8,461 residents · 66.9% owned · 14.6% no carWest Molesey North, Elmbridge6,352 residents · 78.5% owned · 10.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Upper Shirley

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

Tenure

Owned74.1%
2,256 households
Private rented19.3%
588 households
Social rented6.1%
187 households
Shared ownership0.4%
13 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached42.7%
1,300 households
Detached27.5%
835 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement13.8%
420 households
Terraced9.8%
299 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits5.2%
157 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%
27 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
3 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.7%
1,300 households
2 cars or vans in household31.2%
951 households
No cars or vans in household15.9%
484 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10.2%
310 households
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms44.5%
1,353 households
4 or more bedrooms33.2%
1,010 households
2 bedrooms15.9%
485 households
1 bedroom6.4%
195 households
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household68.3%
2,078 households
One-person household23.3%
708 households
Other household types8.4%
255 households
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household33.2%
1,011 households
1 person in household23.3%
708 households
4 people in household18.5%
564 households
3 people in household17.7%
538 households
5 people in household5.3%
162 households
6 people in household1.3%
40 households
7 people in household0.4%
12 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
8 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.5%
1,449 residents
15–2916%
1,257 residents
30–4421.1%
1,650 residents
45–6426.4%
2,065 residents
65 and over18.1%
1,415 residents
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White81.9%
6,414 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh11.1%
871 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3%
232 residents
Other ethnic group2.2%
176 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.8%
142 residents
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above46.9%
2,942 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.1%
949 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12%
752 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications11.2%
705 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.4%
466 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.4%
277 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
180 residents aged 16 and over
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63.3%
3,973 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive34.7%
2,176 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2%
126 residents aged 16 and over
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations25.8%
1,618 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations20%
1,257 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.1%
759 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.4%
590 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.5%
535 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8%
501 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.5%
410 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.3%
330 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.3%
271 residents aged 16 and over
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health53.2%
4,175 residents
Good health33.6%
2,639 residents
Fair health9.7%
759 residents
Bad health2.7%
211 residents
Very bad health0.8%
59 residents
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.5%
6,703 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.5%
1,134 residents
Upper Shirley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension57.8%
1,758 households
Household is deprived in one dimension30.3%
921 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10%
304 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.8%
55 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
5 households
Upper Shirley · 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.

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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.