Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003582

Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood

Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,583 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
8,583

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,741

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

772.5

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

79.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

11.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.8%

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.

Keyworth South, Rushcliffe5,082 residents · 77.3% owned · 15.0% no carBorrowash & Ockbrook, Erewash7,167 residents · 77.2% owned · 14.2% no carNorth Hykeham North, North Kesteven8,148 residents · 80.6% owned · 15.2% no carGrenoside & Ecclesfield North, Sheffield7,138 residents · 85.6% owned · 14.4% no carSt Austell East & Carlyon Bay, Cornwall9,603 residents · 75.4% owned · 11.1% no carLeek South & Cheddleton, Staffordshire Moorlands10,619 residents · 84.3% owned · 10.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood

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

Tenure

Owned79.3%
2,966 households
Private rented15.1%
564 households
Social rented5.2%
194 households
Shared ownership0.5%
17 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached47.1%
1,761 households
Semi-detached38.7%
1,449 households
Terraced9.7%
363 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement2.7%
101 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.9%
34 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.7%
25 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.2%
7 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
2 households
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.2%
1,690 households
2 cars or vans in household30.9%
1,155 households
3 or more cars or vans in household12.1%
454 households
No cars or vans in household11.8%
443 households
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms50.2%
1,878 households
2 bedrooms25.4%
951 households
4 or more bedrooms20.6%
770 households
1 bedroom3.8%
143 households
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household66.8%
2,498 households
One-person household28.6%
1,070 households
Other household types4.6%
171 households
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household39.1%
1,464 households
1 person in household28.6%
1,071 households
4 people in household13.7%
514 households
3 people in household13.6%
510 households
5 people in household3.7%
139 households
6 people in household0.9%
34 households
7 people in household0.2%
8 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.4%
1,322 residents
15–2912.9%
1,111 residents
30–4415.8%
1,354 residents
45–6429.1%
2,496 residents
65 and over26.8%
2,303 residents
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.4%
8,358 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.2%
107 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.9%
74 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.3%
25 residents
Other ethnic group0.2%
18 residents
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.8%
2,423 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.3%
1,307 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.3%
1,022 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications13.7%
980 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.2%
662 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship8.4%
600 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.3%
165 residents aged 16 and over
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)54.6%
3,910 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive43.5%
3,117 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.8%
131 residents aged 16 and over
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.6%
1,690 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers14%
999 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.8%
920 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.7%
913 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations12.7%
906 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.7%
695 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5%
357 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.9%
353 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.6%
328 residents aged 16 and over
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44.8%
3,844 residents
Good health36.9%
3,167 residents
Fair health13.5%
1,158 residents
Bad health4%
344 residents
Very bad health0.8%
72 residents
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.2%
6,967 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.8%
1,617 residents
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51.9%
1,942 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.9%
1,306 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.8%
404 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.2%
84 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
4 households
Cowes West, Gurnard & Northwood · 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.