Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003947

West Penwith & St Buryan

West Penwith & St Buryan is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,533 residents in Cornwall. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Cornwall
6,533

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,889

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

60.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

69.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

12.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

35.1%

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.

Beulah, Troed-yr-aur & Llandysul, Ceredigion7,446 residents · 76.0% owned · 8.4% no carLlanfihangel-ar-arth & Llanybydder, Carmarthenshire5,568 residents · 72.6% owned · 11.3% no carLampeter & Llanfihangel Ystrad, Ceredigion7,674 residents · 70.6% owned · 12.5% no carAberaeron & Llanrhystud, Ceredigion7,075 residents · 75.6% owned · 12.3% no carFishguard, Pembrokeshire9,628 residents · 69.3% owned · 14.1% no carNarberth, Pembrokeshire6,979 residents · 71.7% owned · 10.2% no car

Most similar within Cornwall

The closest matches in the same local authority.

St Just & Land's End, Cornwall5,395 residents · 67.6% owned · 15.1% no carTywardreath & Fowey, Cornwall5,687 residents · 74.7% owned · 12.2% no carThe Lizard, Cornwall8,910 residents · 70.3% owned · 10.3% no carLanreath, Pelynt & Polruan, Cornwall8,286 residents · 67.7% owned · 12.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in West Penwith & St Buryan

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

Tenure

Owned69.8%
2,017 households
Private rented20.8%
601 households
Social rented8.7%
251 households
Shared ownership0.7%
20 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached42.6%
1,230 households
Terraced27.3%
788 households
Semi-detached25%
723 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement2.3%
66 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure1%
28 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.8%
24 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.8%
23 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.2%
7 households
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.7%
1,261 households
2 cars or vans in household30.7%
888 households
3 or more cars or vans in household13.1%
377 households
No cars or vans in household12.5%
362 households
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms44.5%
1,285 households
2 bedrooms27.5%
794 households
4 or more bedrooms21.3%
616 households
1 bedroom6.7%
193 households
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.7%
1,868 households
One-person household29.7%
858 households
Other household types5.5%
160 households
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household40.6%
1,174 households
1 person in household29.7%
860 households
3 people in household14.8%
428 households
4 people in household10.4%
300 households
5 people in household2.6%
75 households
6 people in household1.3%
39 households
7 people in household0.4%
11 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1513.3%
868 residents
15–2911%
720 residents
30–4414.1%
920 residents
45–6431.1%
2,030 residents
65 and over30.5%
1,994 residents
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.1%
6,345 residents
Other ethnic group1.6%
103 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.7%
47 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.5%
34 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0%
3 residents
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above35.1%
1,968 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.7%
939 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications16.4%
917 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.2%
796 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.1%
510 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.2%
348 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.3%
128 residents aged 16 and over
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)52.2%
2,929 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive46.5%
2,610 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
68 residents aged 16 and over
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.1%
1,183 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers21%
1,177 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.4%
750 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10.4%
583 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.3%
524 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.2%
513 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.9%
332 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.5%
308 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.2%
236 residents aged 16 and over
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44.1%
2,883 residents
Good health33.1%
2,162 residents
Fair health15.5%
1,015 residents
Bad health5%
328 residents
Very bad health2.2%
143 residents
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act77%
5,028 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act23%
1,505 residents
West Penwith & St Buryan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension47.2%
1,362 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.3%
990 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15%
432 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.5%
101 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
3 households
West Penwith & St Buryan · 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 Cornwall

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.