Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004268

Swanage

Swanage is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,426 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
9,426

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,513

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

842.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

69.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

18.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

31.6%

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.

Appledore & Northam North, Torridge5,981 residents · 68.9% owned · 18.5% no carSheringham, North Norfolk7,088 residents · 71.7% owned · 19.6% no carLooe & Polperro, Cornwall5,005 residents · 71.8% owned · 17.2% no carRye & Winchelsea, Rother7,623 residents · 65.1% owned · 18.9% no carSelsey, Chichester10,923 residents · 75.4% owned · 16.8% no carBrixham Town, Torbay9,473 residents · 70.0% owned · 22.2% no car

Most similar within Dorset

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Bridport South & West Bay, Dorset5,553 residents · 64.0% owned · 20.6% no carBridport North, Dorset6,415 residents · 66.5% owned · 18.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Swanage

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

Tenure

Owned69.7%
3,145 households
Private rented17.5%
791 households
Social rented12.1%
547 households
Shared ownership0.6%
28 households
Lives rent free0%
2 households
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached33.7%
1,522 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement20.5%
926 households
Semi-detached18.6%
839 households
Terraced13.9%
627 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits7%
315 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.5%
112 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.1%
97 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure1.6%
74 households
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household46.7%
2,106 households
2 cars or vans in household25.6%
1,156 households
No cars or vans in household18.8%
850 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.9%
400 households
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms36.5%
1,648 households
2 bedrooms35.5%
1,601 households
4 or more bedrooms17.4%
783 households
1 bedroom10.6%
480 households
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household60.6%
2,733 households
One-person household35.1%
1,584 households
Other household types4.3%
194 households
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household40.9%
1,846 households
1 person in household35.1%
1,584 households
3 people in household12.5%
566 households
4 people in household8%
359 households
5 people in household2.7%
120 households
6 people in household0.6%
28 households
7 people in household0.1%
6 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1511.7%
1,101 residents
15–2911.4%
1,076 residents
30–4412.8%
1,203 residents
45–6428.6%
2,698 residents
65 and over35.5%
3,350 residents
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97%
9,141 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.3%
118 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.8%
77 residents
Other ethnic group0.7%
62 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.2%
22 residents
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above31.6%
2,606 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications17.3%
1,427 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.8%
1,303 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.4%
1,185 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.5%
864 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.3%
606 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.1%
259 residents aged 16 and over
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive52.1%
4,300 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)46.9%
3,868 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.1%
87 residents aged 16 and over
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.5%
1,774 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers15.2%
1,257 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.5%
1,118 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.5%
949 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.2%
921 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11%
906 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.5%
535 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.2%
510 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students3.4%
281 residents aged 16 and over
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health40%
3,773 residents
Good health36.9%
3,476 residents
Fair health16.7%
1,571 residents
Bad health5%
469 residents
Very bad health1.5%
137 residents
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act77.5%
7,304 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act22.5%
2,122 residents
Swanage · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension46.5%
2,096 households
Household is deprived in one dimension37%
1,668 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13.9%
625 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.6%
117 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
5 households
Swanage · 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.