Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004261

Blandford Forum Town

Blandford Forum Town is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,359 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
10,359

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,767

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,964.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

63.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

27.8%

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 carWellington North, Somerset West and Taunton10,520 residents · 57.7% owned · 18.1% no carHamworthy East, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole6,781 residents · 62.6% owned · 17.6% no carNetley, Eastleigh5,443 residents · 62.0% owned · 14.9% no carRipon South & East, Harrogate10,336 residents · 64.9% owned · 19.8% no carClevedon Central, North Somerset8,032 residents · 64.9% owned · 18.8% no car

Most similar within Dorset

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Shaftesbury, Dorset9,158 residents · 62.6% owned · 14.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Blandford Forum Town

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

Tenure

Owned63.2%
3,013 households
Social rented18.6%
885 households
Private rented16.7%
797 households
Shared ownership1.3%
63 households
Lives rent free0.2%
9 households
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced29.1%
1,389 households
Detached26%
1,238 households
Semi-detached21.9%
1,042 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement17.5%
836 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.6%
122 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.7%
80 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.3%
60 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.6%
2,029 households
2 cars or vans in household29.6%
1,409 households
No cars or vans in household17.8%
850 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10%
479 households
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms37.4%
1,782 households
2 bedrooms30%
1,430 households
4 or more bedrooms17.1%
815 households
1 bedroom15.5%
740 households
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household60.5%
2,883 households
One-person household35.6%
1,698 households
Other household types3.8%
183 households
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household35.6%
1,698 households
2 people in household35.5%
1,695 households
3 people in household13.4%
641 households
4 people in household10.8%
515 households
5 people in household3.4%
161 households
6 people in household0.9%
41 households
7 people in household0.2%
11 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.1%
1,774 residents
15–2913.8%
1,428 residents
30–4418.4%
1,907 residents
45–6425.9%
2,685 residents
65 and over24.8%
2,565 residents
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.9%
10,035 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.5%
157 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.9%
97 residents
Other ethnic group0.5%
51 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.2%
21 residents
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above27.8%
2,364 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.2%
1,548 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications17.5%
1,485 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.1%
1,285 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.7%
990 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.7%
566 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
251 residents aged 16 and over
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)59.1%
5,018 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive39.6%
3,360 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
106 residents aged 16 and over
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.1%
1,790 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations15.2%
1,287 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.6%
1,155 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.8%
1,085 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11%
934 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.2%
869 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.7%
570 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.1%
518 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students3.3%
277 residents aged 16 and over
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45%
4,660 residents
Good health35.8%
3,709 residents
Fair health14.1%
1,463 residents
Bad health4.2%
433 residents
Very bad health0.9%
95 residents
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.4%
8,227 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.6%
2,132 residents
Blandford Forum Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension46.5%
2,218 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.6%
1,698 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.4%
687 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.3%
155 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
9 households
Blandford Forum Town · 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.