Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003648

Dunstable Manshead

Dunstable Manshead is a Census neighbourhood of about 5,521 residents in Central Bedfordshire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Central Bedfordshire
5,521

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,279

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,490.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

58.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

22.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

26.2%

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.

Goldington, Bedford9,210 residents · 54.3% owned · 23.1% no carBitterne East, Southampton8,086 residents · 61.7% owned · 23.2% no carBraintree South, Braintree9,832 residents · 58.4% owned · 18.4% no carGarston, Watford8,399 residents · 55.4% owned · 19.4% no carWhitehouse, Ipswich9,104 residents · 55.1% owned · 22.4% no carMaybush, Southampton8,703 residents · 53.5% owned · 21.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Dunstable Manshead

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

Tenure

Owned58.4%
1,332 households
Social rented29.5%
672 households
Private rented11.1%
254 households
Shared ownership0.8%
18 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached34.6%
788 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement28.3%
645 households
Terraced23.8%
543 households
Detached9.5%
216 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.9%
67 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.5%
11 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
7 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.4%
944 households
2 cars or vans in household26.8%
610 households
No cars or vans in household22%
502 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9.8%
224 households
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms43.8%
999 households
2 bedrooms31.1%
710 households
1 bedroom12.7%
290 households
4 or more bedrooms12.4%
282 households
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household63.5%
1,448 households
One-person household29.5%
674 households
Other household types7%
160 households
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household31%
706 households
1 person in household29.5%
674 households
3 people in household18.3%
418 households
4 people in household14.2%
323 households
5 people in household5%
113 households
6 people in household1.2%
27 households
7 people in household0.7%
15 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.2%
1,117 residents
15–2917.9%
986 residents
30–4421.6%
1,190 residents
45–6425.2%
1,393 residents
65 and over15.1%
836 residents
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White84.9%
4,687 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5.5%
303 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh4.4%
244 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.1%
228 residents
Other ethnic group1.1%
60 residents
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above26.2%
1,136 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications20.2%
878 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.8%
686 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.8%
644 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications13.3%
578 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.9%
254 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.8%
163 residents aged 16 and over
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)62%
2,690 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive35.6%
1,543 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.4%
103 residents aged 16 and over
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations17.9%
778 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations15.5%
672 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.5%
587 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.7%
550 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.7%
506 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.5%
367 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.7%
332 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.5%
281 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.1%
265 residents aged 16 and over
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.3%
2,502 residents
Good health37.1%
2,051 residents
Fair health12.1%
670 residents
Bad health4.5%
247 residents
Very bad health0.9%
51 residents
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.9%
4,579 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.1%
942 residents
Dunstable Manshead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension43.2%
986 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.2%
803 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions16.6%
379 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.5%
102 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
10 households
Dunstable Manshead · 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 Central Bedfordshire

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.