Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004243

Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley

Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,448 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
6,448

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,692

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

58.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

71.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

5.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.6%

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.

Herstmonceux & Ninfield, Wealden6,475 residents · 80.7% owned · 5.6% no carWestonzoyland, Ashcott & Cossington, Sedgemoor9,364 residents · 83.0% owned · 5.4% no carDebenham, Stonham & Coddenham, Mid Suffolk8,348 residents · 77.5% owned · 5.9% no carAbberley, Holt Heath & Hallow, Malvern Hills8,524 residents · 77.3% owned · 5.7% no carFeniton & Whimple, East Devon8,894 residents · 77.7% owned · 6.0% no carCowfold & Partridge Green, Horsham5,454 residents · 79.3% owned · 5.2% no car

Most similar within Dorset

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Milborne, Winterborne & Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset7,889 residents · 72.8% owned · 5.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley

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

Tenure

Owned71.3%
1,920 households
Private rented18.8%
507 households
Social rented9.6%
258 households
Shared ownership0.3%
7 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached53.3%
1,437 households
Semi-detached30.5%
822 households
Terraced7.8%
211 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure3.9%
105 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement3.3%
88 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.4%
11 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%
11 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
10 households
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

2 cars or vans in household39.1%
1,054 households
1 car or van in household31.7%
855 households
3 or more cars or vans in household23.7%
639 households
No cars or vans in household5.5%
147 households
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms43%
1,159 households
4 or more bedrooms32.7%
881 households
2 bedrooms21%
566 households
1 bedroom3.3%
88 households
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household72%
1,941 households
One-person household22.8%
615 households
Other household types5.1%
138 households
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household43.1%
1,159 households
1 person in household22.8%
615 households
3 people in household15.4%
414 households
4 people in household13.2%
354 households
5 people in household3.9%
106 households
6 people in household1%
28 households
7 people in household0.3%
9 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
7 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.1%
970 residents
15–2912.7%
819 residents
30–4414%
902 residents
45–6432.5%
2,096 residents
65 and over25.7%
1,658 residents
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White98.5%
6,354 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.9%
57 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.5%
31 residents
Other ethnic group0.1%
4 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0%
2 residents
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.6%
1,818 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.8%
1,018 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.7%
793 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications14.2%
770 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.9%
537 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6%
324 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.8%
150 residents aged 16 and over
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)58.9%
3,185 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive39.8%
2,155 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.3%
72 residents aged 16 and over
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.4%
1,209 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers17.4%
942 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.9%
806 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.1%
601 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.4%
562 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9%
487 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.5%
297 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5%
273 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.3%
232 residents aged 16 and over
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.5%
3,130 residents
Good health35.2%
2,268 residents
Fair health12.4%
803 residents
Bad health3%
192 residents
Very bad health0.9%
57 residents
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act83.6%
5,388 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act16.4%
1,060 residents
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension53.9%
1,452 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.3%
898 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.9%
294 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.7%
47 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
2 households
Alderholt & Sixpenny Handley · 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 Dorset

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.