Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003579

Woolston

Woolston is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,585 residents in Southampton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Southampton
9,585

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,277

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,492.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

53.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

19.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.0%

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.

Dunstable Central, Central Bedfordshire10,506 residents · 59.7% owned · 21.7% no carHorley Central, Reigate and Banstead9,169 residents · 59.4% owned · 20.7% no carSalisbury Churchfields, Wiltshire6,905 residents · 58.2% owned · 26.0% no carAlstone & St Mark's, Cheltenham10,439 residents · 58.6% owned · 22.9% no carMaidstone West, Maidstone12,367 residents · 45.1% owned · 22.7% no carTonbridge Town, Tonbridge and Malling12,509 residents · 55.5% owned · 22.3% no car

Most similar within Southampton

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Bitterne West, Southampton8,318 residents · 57.7% owned · 19.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Woolston

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

Tenure

Owned53.7%
2,295 households
Private rented28.2%
1,204 households
Social rented14.1%
602 households
Shared ownership4.1%
175 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement33%
1,413 households
Semi-detached30%
1,285 households
Terraced16.8%
717 households
Detached13.4%
571 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits5%
214 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%
40 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.8%
36 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household49.8%
2,128 households
2 cars or vans in household25.1%
1,075 households
No cars or vans in household19.1%
816 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6%
258 households
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms37.8%
1,616 households
2 bedrooms34.4%
1,472 households
1 bedroom20%
854 households
4 or more bedrooms7.8%
335 households
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household60.2%
2,576 households
One-person household33.5%
1,434 households
Other household types6.2%
266 households
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household35.7%
1,527 households
1 person in household33.5%
1,434 households
3 people in household15%
642 households
4 people in household11.3%
485 households
5 people in household3.1%
132 households
6 people in household1%
41 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
9 households
7 people in household0.1%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.9%
1,617 residents
15–2920.5%
1,963 residents
30–4425.4%
2,434 residents
45–6422.9%
2,196 residents
65 and over14.3%
1,375 residents
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White89.4%
8,565 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.9%
369 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.6%
346 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.9%
185 residents
Other ethnic group1.2%
117 residents
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33%
2,598 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.4%
1,446 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications15.1%
1,191 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.3%
1,127 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.8%
771 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.3%
496 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
240 residents aged 16 and over
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)67.9%
5,343 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive30.5%
2,402 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.6%
125 residents aged 16 and over
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22%
1,732 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13%
1,024 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13%
1,023 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations12%
946 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11.8%
926 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.3%
811 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.1%
562 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.1%
478 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.7%
367 residents aged 16 and over
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.7%
4,664 residents
Good health35.1%
3,360 residents
Fair health11.7%
1,126 residents
Bad health3.4%
330 residents
Very bad health1.1%
105 residents
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.5%
7,904 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.5%
1,681 residents
Woolston · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension54.8%
2,343 households
Household is deprived in one dimension30.7%
1,314 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.4%
489 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.8%
121 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
9 households
Woolston · 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 Southampton

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.