Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004184

Barnstaple South

Barnstaple South is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,562 residents in North Devon. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,562

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,647

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,631.5

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

57.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

22.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

24.4%

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.

Attleborough, Nuneaton and Bedworth7,648 residents · 60.9% owned · 21.2% no carRetford South, Bassetlaw8,795 residents · 60.9% owned · 20.4% no carFoley Park, Wyre Forest7,564 residents · 63.2% owned · 20.1% no carWellington North, Somerset West and Taunton10,520 residents · 57.7% owned · 18.1% no carTyldesley North, Wigan8,192 residents · 62.6% owned · 22.0% no carHamworthy East, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole6,781 residents · 62.6% owned · 17.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Barnstaple South

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

Tenure

Owned57.4%
2,094 households
Private rented22.9%
836 households
Social rented18.4%
671 households
Shared ownership1.2%
42 households
Lives rent free0.1%
4 households
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced31.5%
1,148 households
Detached26.5%
965 households
Semi-detached25.8%
940 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement12%
438 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.7%
98 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.8%
28 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.7%
27 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
4 households
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.3%
1,578 households
2 cars or vans in household25.1%
916 households
No cars or vans in household22.8%
832 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.8%
322 households
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms41.9%
1,529 households
2 bedrooms29.8%
1,088 households
4 or more bedrooms19.6%
714 households
1 bedroom8.7%
317 households
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.7%
2,360 households
One-person household30.8%
1,126 households
Other household types4.5%
164 households
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household33.6%
1,226 households
1 person in household30.9%
1,126 households
3 people in household16.3%
593 households
4 people in household13.5%
491 households
5 people in household4.1%
150 households
6 people in household1%
38 households
7 people in household0.4%
15 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
9 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.1%
1,630 residents
15–2917.3%
1,481 residents
30–4418.8%
1,606 residents
45–6427.5%
2,349 residents
65 and over17.4%
1,490 residents
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.6%
8,271 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.8%
152 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.1%
91 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.3%
28 residents
Other ethnic group0.2%
20 residents
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above24.4%
1,666 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19.5%
1,330 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.7%
1,279 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications17.1%
1,168 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.1%
830 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.8%
395 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
166 residents aged 16 and over
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)59.9%
4,097 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive38.3%
2,615 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.8%
123 residents aged 16 and over
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.2%
1,247 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations17%
1,160 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations16.2%
1,106 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.7%
732 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.7%
729 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.9%
540 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations7.3%
499 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.7%
457 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.3%
365 residents aged 16 and over
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.4%
3,889 residents
Good health34.8%
2,978 residents
Fair health13.4%
1,146 residents
Bad health5.1%
433 residents
Very bad health1.4%
116 residents
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80%
6,847 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20%
1,717 residents
Barnstaple South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension47.6%
1,736 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32%
1,166 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15.9%
579 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.4%
159 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
9 households
Barnstaple 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 North Devon

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.