Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003649

Dunstable South

Dunstable South is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,605 residents in Central Bedfordshire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Central Bedfordshire
6,605

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,821

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,145.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

78.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

11.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

29.9%

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.

Longlevens, Gloucester7,865 residents · 85.0% owned · 10.2% no carNew Duston West, West Northamptonshire5,541 residents · 80.7% owned · 10.2% no carWaterlooville North East, Havant6,043 residents · 79.9% owned · 8.9% no carKettering Brambleside, North Northamptonshire8,442 residents · 76.8% owned · 10.3% no carTilehurst North, Reading8,161 residents · 81.0% owned · 15.1% no carLongwell Green & Oldland Common, South Gloucestershire10,118 residents · 86.4% owned · 9.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Dunstable South

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

Tenure

Owned78%
2,201 households
Private rented16.7%
471 households
Social rented4.1%
116 households
Shared ownership1.1%
32 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached40%
1,130 households
Detached25%
705 households
Terraced18.3%
516 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement15.3%
431 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.7%
21 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.4%
11 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
7 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household38.4%
1,083 households
2 cars or vans in household37%
1,044 households
3 or more cars or vans in household12.9%
364 households
No cars or vans in household11.7%
330 households
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms48%
1,354 households
4 or more bedrooms25.9%
731 households
2 bedrooms17.4%
492 households
1 bedroom8.6%
244 households
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household68.9%
1,946 households
One-person household26.2%
741 households
Other household types4.8%
136 households
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household39.3%
1,108 households
1 person in household26.3%
741 households
3 people in household16%
451 households
4 people in household13%
367 households
5 people in household4.3%
120 households
6 people in household0.9%
25 households
7 people in household0.3%
8 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.1%
997 residents
15–2915.3%
1,009 residents
30–4418.5%
1,220 residents
45–6428.4%
1,879 residents
65 and over22.7%
1,502 residents
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White89.5%
5,913 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.8%
248 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.5%
229 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.7%
177 residents
Other ethnic group0.6%
41 residents
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above29.9%
1,658 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19.4%
1,079 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.1%
836 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications15%
833 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.9%
549 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.6%
424 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.1%
173 residents aged 16 and over
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)61.3%
3,400 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive36.5%
2,025 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
124 residents aged 16 and over
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.4%
1,298 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations15.3%
850 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.6%
753 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers12.2%
679 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.9%
551 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.6%
532 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.6%
309 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.4%
301 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5%
277 residents aged 16 and over
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.1%
3,178 residents
Good health36.3%
2,399 residents
Fair health12.2%
809 residents
Bad health2.7%
180 residents
Very bad health0.6%
40 residents
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.6%
5,654 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.4%
952 residents
Dunstable South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension53.6%
1,513 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.2%
993 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions9.5%
269 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.6%
44 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
3 households
Dunstable South · 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.