Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003581

Cowes Central

Cowes Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,800 residents in Isle of Wight. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Isle of Wight
7,800

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,671

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,896.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

59.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

22.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

34.5%

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.

Congleton Town, Cheshire East7,516 residents · 63.9% owned · 18.3% no carGreenbank, Cheshire West and Chester5,845 residents · 59.2% owned · 18.3% no carHinckley Central, Hinckley and Bosworth9,117 residents · 59.6% owned · 23.4% no carShrewsbury Sutton & Coleham, Shropshire6,574 residents · 66.3% owned · 20.8% no carSilsden, Bradford5,223 residents · 66.6% owned · 18.9% no carShrewsbury Greenfields, Shropshire7,956 residents · 55.2% owned · 24.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Cowes Central

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

Tenure

Owned59.7%
2,193 households
Private rented30.8%
1,129 households
Social rented8.8%
324 households
Shared ownership0.6%
23 households
Lives rent free0.1%
2 households
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced37.4%
1,372 households
Semi-detached26.4%
970 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement17.2%
632 households
Detached11.3%
416 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits4.7%
173 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.6%
58 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.3%
47 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
4 households
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household49.7%
1,825 households
No cars or vans in household22.5%
827 households
2 cars or vans in household21.4%
784 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.4%
235 households
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms39.3%
1,444 households
2 bedrooms37.7%
1,384 households
4 or more bedrooms13.6%
501 households
1 bedroom9.3%
342 households
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household56.1%
2,058 households
One-person household38%
1,395 households
Other household types5.9%
218 households
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household38%
1,395 households
2 people in household34.5%
1,266 households
3 people in household13.8%
507 households
4 people in household9%
332 households
5 people in household3.1%
115 households
6 people in household1.1%
41 households
7 people in household0.2%
9 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.9%
1,244 residents
15–2915.8%
1,230 residents
30–4418.9%
1,474 residents
45–6427.5%
2,147 residents
65 and over21.9%
1,705 residents
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White95.6%
7,464 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.9%
151 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.6%
121 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.4%
34 residents
Other ethnic group0.4%
34 residents
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above34.5%
2,230 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.7%
1,213 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.5%
938 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications14%
906 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.5%
615 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.3%
405 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.5%
163 residents aged 16 and over
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60.2%
3,894 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive38.6%
2,498 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
75 residents aged 16 and over
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.8%
1,410 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.6%
944 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers13.5%
871 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations12.7%
819 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11.1%
716 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.7%
692 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.3%
407 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.5%
354 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4%
256 residents aged 16 and over
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.5%
3,392 residents
Good health36.3%
2,831 residents
Fair health14.8%
1,155 residents
Bad health4%
314 residents
Very bad health1.4%
108 residents
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.5%
6,200 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.5%
1,600 residents
Cowes Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51.2%
1,879 households
Household is deprived in one dimension31.4%
1,154 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.1%
517 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.1%
115 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
7 households
Cowes Central · 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 Isle of Wight

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.