Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004265

Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath

Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,498 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
8,498

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,853

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

235.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

68.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

16.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

28.5%

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.

Ilminster & Horton, South Somerset8,765 residents · 71.6% owned · 12.3% no carMartock, South Somerset5,602 residents · 73.2% owned · 10.7% no carAxminster, East Devon9,813 residents · 67.8% owned · 14.2% no carCarnforth, Silverdale & Warton, Lancaster9,943 residents · 78.6% owned · 13.0% no carSandwich & Eastry, Dover8,921 residents · 71.1% owned · 14.6% no carSaxmundham & Coldfair Green, East Suffolk9,699 residents · 65.8% owned · 12.9% no car

Most similar within Dorset

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Chickerell & Chesil Bank, Dorset8,375 residents · 71.3% owned · 11.9% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath

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

Tenure

Owned68.5%
2,638 households
Social rented16.2%
626 households
Private rented14.6%
561 households
Shared ownership0.7%
27 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached34.6%
1,334 households
Semi-detached27%
1,042 households
Terraced21.8%
839 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement8.9%
345 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure3.3%
127 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.6%
61 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.5%
56 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.3%
51 households
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.8%
1,648 households
2 cars or vans in household28.5%
1,097 households
No cars or vans in household16%
616 households
3 or more cars or vans in household12.7%
491 households
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms45.1%
1,738 households
2 bedrooms27.4%
1,054 households
4 or more bedrooms19.6%
754 households
1 bedroom7.9%
306 households
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household63.1%
2,431 households
One-person household31.7%
1,220 households
Other household types5.2%
200 households
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household38.7%
1,489 households
1 person in household31.7%
1,220 households
3 people in household14.5%
557 households
4 people in household11%
422 households
5 people in household3.3%
127 households
6 people in household0.7%
27 households
7 people in household0.2%
7 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1514.2%
1,204 residents
15–2912.7%
1,081 residents
30–4413.4%
1,135 residents
45–6428.7%
2,439 residents
65 and over31.1%
2,641 residents
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.6%
8,296 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.1%
97 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.7%
60 residents
Other ethnic group0.4%
36 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.1%
10 residents
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above28.5%
2,060 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications19%
1,371 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.7%
1,202 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.3%
1,033 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.3%
818 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.2%
523 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
212 residents aged 16 and over
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)52.1%
3,764 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive46.6%
3,368 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
90 residents aged 16 and over
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.6%
1,486 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.8%
997 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.6%
913 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers12.4%
896 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.1%
875 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.8%
849 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations7.3%
527 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6%
431 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students3.4%
247 residents aged 16 and over
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43%
3,653 residents
Good health36.1%
3,070 residents
Fair health15.4%
1,309 residents
Bad health4.3%
364 residents
Very bad health1.2%
105 residents
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80%
6,795 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20%
1,703 residents
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension47.4%
1,825 households
Household is deprived in one dimension36.3%
1,399 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13.4%
515 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.8%
108 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
5 households
Wareham, Sandford & Holton Heath · 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.