Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004248

West Moors

West Moors is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,403 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
7,403

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,535

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

867.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

82.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

12.3%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

25.6%

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.

Beltinge & Bishopstone, Canterbury7,484 residents · 83.6% owned · 13.3% no carHayling Eastoke, Havant6,184 residents · 77.2% owned · 13.5% no carBarton on Sea, New Forest7,404 residents · 87.7% owned · 10.7% no carBirchington, Thanet8,864 residents · 82.2% owned · 19.5% no carNyetimber & Pagham, Arun9,705 residents · 81.6% owned · 15.2% no carPreesall, Stalmine & Hambleton, Wyre10,297 residents · 79.8% owned · 12.5% no car

Most similar within Dorset

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Ferndown Town, Dorset7,792 residents · 73.4% owned · 15.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in West Moors

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

Tenure

Owned82.6%
2,919 households
Private rented8.7%
308 households
Social rented8.3%
295 households
Shared ownership0.4%
13 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached58.2%
2,059 households
Semi-detached17.5%
618 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement11.1%
394 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure6.7%
237 households
Terraced5%
178 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%
32 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.4%
13 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.9%
1,551 households
2 cars or vans in household29.9%
1,057 households
3 or more cars or vans in household13.9%
491 households
No cars or vans in household12.3%
436 households
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms39.7%
1,402 households
3 bedrooms33.6%
1,188 households
4 or more bedrooms20.5%
723 households
1 bedroom6.3%
222 households
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.4%
2,275 households
One-person household31%
1,095 households
Other household types4.7%
165 households
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household46.3%
1,636 households
1 person in household31%
1,095 households
3 people in household11.8%
416 households
4 people in household7.8%
276 households
5 people in household2.6%
92 households
6 people in household0.5%
16 households
7 people in household0.1%
4 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 159.6%
712 residents
15–2910.2%
756 residents
30–4411.2%
831 residents
45–6425.5%
1,891 residents
65 and over43.4%
3,212 residents
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.9%
7,246 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.8%
62 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.7%
49 residents
Other ethnic group0.4%
30 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.2%
16 residents
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above25.6%
1,697 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications21%
1,393 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16%
1,061 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.4%
890 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.6%
770 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship8.3%
551 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications4.1%
272 residents aged 16 and over
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive56.5%
3,744 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)42.6%
2,824 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1%
64 residents aged 16 and over
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.8%
1,446 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14.7%
975 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.1%
938 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers12.9%
859 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations12.3%
817 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10%
663 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.9%
391 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.6%
370 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students2.7%
176 residents aged 16 and over
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health38.3%
2,833 residents
Good health37.7%
2,790 residents
Fair health17.7%
1,314 residents
Bad health5.1%
378 residents
Very bad health1.2%
88 residents
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act76.8%
5,684 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act23.2%
1,721 residents
West Moors · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension43.6%
1,543 households
Household is deprived in one dimension38.9%
1,377 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15.5%
549 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.7%
60 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
8 households
West Moors · 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.