Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004246

St Leonards

St Leonards is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,902 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
7,902

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,477

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

318.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

88.1%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

7.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

34.0%

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.

Hordle & Bashley, New Forest9,630 residents · 86.5% owned · 7.9% no carBishopsteignton & Shaldon, Teignbridge6,597 residents · 83.0% owned · 8.6% no carWestfield, Fairlight & Broad Oak, Rother9,238 residents · 83.5% owned · 8.7% no carAshurst & Cadnam, New Forest5,644 residents · 87.5% owned · 5.8% no carColletts Green, Callow End & Hanley, Malvern Hills5,854 residents · 77.5% owned · 7.5% no carWick, Elmley Castle & Fladbury, Wychavon7,196 residents · 77.4% owned · 7.6% no car

Most similar within Dorset

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Parley & Hampreston, Dorset9,801 residents · 87.5% owned · 9.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in St Leonards

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

Tenure

Owned88.1%
3,062 households
Private rented7.2%
250 households
Social rented3.5%
122 households
Shared ownership1.2%
42 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached81.2%
2,825 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure6.7%
232 households
Semi-detached5.2%
180 households
Terraced3.3%
114 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement2.5%
86 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.8%
27 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
10 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.1%
4 households
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

2 cars or vans in household39.5%
1,372 households
1 car or van in household32.7%
1,137 households
3 or more cars or vans in household20.4%
708 households
No cars or vans in household7.5%
260 households
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

4 or more bedrooms39.5%
1,375 households
3 bedrooms39%
1,356 households
2 bedrooms17.6%
613 households
1 bedroom3.8%
133 households
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household69.8%
2,426 households
One-person household24.3%
843 households
Other household types5.9%
206 households
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household48.9%
1,701 households
1 person in household24.2%
843 households
3 people in household12.9%
449 households
4 people in household9.3%
323 households
5 people in household3.3%
114 households
6 people in household1%
34 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
9 households
7 people in household0.2%
7 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1511.3%
894 residents
15–2910%
791 residents
30–4412.1%
959 residents
45–6427.3%
2,156 residents
65 and over39.3%
3,105 residents
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.3%
7,614 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.7%
134 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.2%
92 residents
Other ethnic group0.5%
36 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.3%
27 residents
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above34%
2,362 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications16.4%
1,142 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.4%
1,072 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.8%
958 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10%
696 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.2%
497 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.2%
220 residents aged 16 and over
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive53.8%
3,737 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)45.3%
3,145 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student0.9%
65 residents aged 16 and over
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations25%
1,733 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.4%
1,348 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers15.1%
1,047 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.4%
931 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8.8%
611 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.8%
402 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.6%
390 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.8%
264 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students3.2%
219 residents aged 16 and over
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.1%
3,563 residents
Good health36.5%
2,887 residents
Fair health13.7%
1,083 residents
Bad health3.6%
283 residents
Very bad health1.1%
87 residents
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81%
6,400 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19%
1,503 residents
St Leonards · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension53.6%
1,863 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.8%
1,246 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions9.5%
330 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1%
36 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
2 households
St Leonards · 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.