Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004187

South Molton

South Molton is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,753 residents in North Devon. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

10,753

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,614

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

42.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

66.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

13.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

27.2%

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.

Holsworthy, Bradworthy & Welcombe, Torridge10,184 residents · 69.5% owned · 10.2% no carCamelford & Tresmeer, Cornwall7,199 residents · 68.9% owned · 9.3% no carHatherleigh, Exbourne & North Tawton, West Devon9,954 residents · 70.6% owned · 8.5% no carMuch Wenlock & Broseley, Shropshire11,877 residents · 65.9% owned · 11.3% no carAspatria & Abbeytown, Allerdale8,108 residents · 71.5% owned · 11.8% no carPadstow & St Issey, Cornwall6,776 residents · 62.0% owned · 10.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in South Molton

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

Tenure

Owned66%
3,043 households
Private rented21.8%
1,005 households
Social rented11%
509 households
Shared ownership1.2%
54 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached42.6%
1,967 households
Semi-detached25.6%
1,182 households
Terraced23.2%
1,068 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement4.3%
200 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.5%
71 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.4%
65 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.8%
38 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.5%
22 households
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household40.2%
1,857 households
2 cars or vans in household32.2%
1,488 households
3 or more cars or vans in household14.5%
668 households
No cars or vans in household13%
601 households
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms41.5%
1,915 households
2 bedrooms26.8%
1,236 households
4 or more bedrooms26.1%
1,204 households
1 bedroom5.6%
259 households
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household66.2%
3,055 households
One-person household28.5%
1,317 households
Other household types5.3%
245 households
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household40.2%
1,856 households
1 person in household28.5%
1,317 households
3 people in household14.6%
672 households
4 people in household10.9%
504 households
5 people in household4.1%
187 households
6 people in household1.1%
50 households
7 people in household0.4%
17 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
10 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516%
1,718 residents
15–2914.4%
1,550 residents
30–4415.5%
1,668 residents
45–6427.5%
2,955 residents
65 and over26.6%
2,861 residents
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.3%
10,458 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.2%
125 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.9%
97 residents
Other ethnic group0.4%
39 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.3%
34 residents
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above27.2%
2,424 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.3%
1,634 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications17.1%
1,523 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16.6%
1,484 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.7%
1,046 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.7%
601 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.3%
201 residents aged 16 and over
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.2%
5,011 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.5%
3,787 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.3%
112 residents aged 16 and over
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers20.5%
1,827 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.8%
1,674 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.2%
1,176 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.1%
1,081 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.3%
826 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9%
800 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.7%
600 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.8%
520 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.6%
409 residents aged 16 and over
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.1%
4,952 residents
Good health34.3%
3,692 residents
Fair health13.8%
1,487 residents
Bad health4.3%
459 residents
Very bad health1.5%
162 residents
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.7%
8,675 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.3%
2,077 residents
South Molton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension48.1%
2,220 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.6%
1,641 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13.5%
625 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.6%
120 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
8 households
South Molton · 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.