Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004257

Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,158 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
9,158

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,136

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,038.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

62.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

14.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

28.2%

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.

Crediton, Mid Devon8,077 residents · 62.3% owned · 19.8% no carDevizes East, Wiltshire11,023 residents · 63.4% owned · 14.6% no carLymington North & West, New Forest8,124 residents · 61.4% owned · 14.2% no carWitney Central, West Oxfordshire10,769 residents · 58.7% owned · 20.8% no carWellington North, Somerset West and Taunton10,520 residents · 57.7% owned · 18.1% no carCullompton, Mid Devon8,808 residents · 65.0% owned · 14.6% no car

Most similar within Dorset

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Blandford Forum Town, Dorset10,359 residents · 63.2% owned · 17.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Shaftesbury

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

Tenure

Owned62.6%
2,590 households
Private rented19%
786 households
Social rented16%
661 households
Shared ownership2.4%
98 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced29.7%
1,227 households
Detached26.9%
1,114 households
Semi-detached26.4%
1,090 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement13.1%
540 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.6%
65 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.3%
52 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1%
41 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
6 households
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.6%
1,842 households
2 cars or vans in household30.3%
1,252 households
No cars or vans in household14.5%
601 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10.6%
438 households
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms42%
1,736 households
2 bedrooms27.3%
1,130 households
4 or more bedrooms18.6%
768 households
1 bedroom12.1%
501 households
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household62.9%
2,598 households
One-person household33.8%
1,396 households
Other household types3.4%
139 households
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household36.3%
1,499 households
1 person in household33.8%
1,396 households
3 people in household13.6%
564 households
4 people in household11.3%
469 households
5 people in household3.8%
157 households
6 people in household0.9%
37 households
7 people in household0.3%
11 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517%
1,553 residents
15–2916%
1,462 residents
30–4417.8%
1,633 residents
45–6425.7%
2,352 residents
65 and over23.6%
2,160 residents
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.6%
8,845 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.4%
130 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.3%
123 residents
Other ethnic group0.4%
39 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.2%
20 residents
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above28.2%
2,117 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19.6%
1,471 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16.2%
1,213 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications15.7%
1,178 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.8%
809 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.2%
536 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.3%
170 residents aged 16 and over
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)58.8%
4,412 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive39.8%
2,986 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.3%
100 residents aged 16 and over
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.4%
1,603 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14.8%
1,110 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers13.6%
1,023 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.6%
948 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.9%
819 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.3%
774 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations7%
523 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.9%
370 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.4%
327 residents aged 16 and over
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.4%
4,246 residents
Good health36.3%
3,321 residents
Fair health13.1%
1,196 residents
Bad health3.4%
311 residents
Very bad health0.9%
86 residents
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.7%
7,484 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.3%
1,676 residents
Shaftesbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension50.8%
2,102 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.2%
1,414 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions12.6%
520 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.2%
91 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
8 households
Shaftesbury · 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.