Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004239

West Highcliffe

West Highcliffe is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,240 residents in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
6,240

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,848

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,215.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

85.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

10.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

31.1%

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.

Exmouth Halsdon, East Devon6,864 residents · 79.5% owned · 12.3% no carGoring-by-Sea, Worthing8,406 residents · 82.4% owned · 15.8% no carHythe, New Forest7,276 residents · 80.5% owned · 13.3% no carChestfield & South Tankerton, Canterbury8,437 residents · 88.5% owned · 11.5% no carTeignmouth North, Teignbridge8,331 residents · 81.8% owned · 11.6% no carFelpham, Arun10,593 residents · 80.9% owned · 12.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in West Highcliffe

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

Tenure

Owned85.8%
2,443 households
Private rented10.8%
308 households
Social rented2.2%
64 households
Shared ownership1.2%
33 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached52.1%
1,483 households
Semi-detached26.6%
757 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement10%
286 households
Terraced9.2%
261 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure1.3%
38 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.5%
13 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
5 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.1%
4 households
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.2%
1,229 households
2 cars or vans in household34.8%
991 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.4%
325 households
No cars or vans in household10.6%
302 households
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms38.7%
1,102 households
2 bedrooms34.5%
981 households
4 or more bedrooms22.9%
652 households
1 bedroom3.9%
112 households
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household66.3%
1,888 households
One-person household30.1%
858 households
Other household types3.5%
101 households
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household42.1%
1,197 households
1 person in household30.1%
858 households
3 people in household12.8%
363 households
4 people in household11.5%
326 households
5 people in household2.7%
78 households
6 people in household0.6%
16 households
7 people in household0.2%
5 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1513.2%
822 residents
15–2911.6%
723 residents
30–4413.3%
831 residents
45–6426.7%
1,665 residents
65 and over35.3%
2,204 residents
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.3%
6,072 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.2%
74 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1%
65 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
18 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.2%
13 residents
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above31.1%
1,666 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.8%
955 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.5%
829 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications15.1%
808 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.3%
550 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.3%
392 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
161 residents aged 16 and over
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive49.8%
2,671 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)48.7%
2,612 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
80 residents aged 16 and over
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.6%
1,264 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations15.2%
814 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.7%
788 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers12.5%
672 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.3%
657 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations7.4%
397 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.4%
291 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.9%
261 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.1%
218 residents aged 16 and over
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.8%
2,857 residents
Good health35.9%
2,239 residents
Fair health14.2%
886 residents
Bad health3.3%
203 residents
Very bad health0.9%
58 residents
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.7%
5,100 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.3%
1,142 residents
West Highcliffe · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51.3%
1,462 households
Household is deprived in one dimension37%
1,055 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.3%
294 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.3%
37 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
1 households
West Highcliffe · 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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

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.