Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004269

Sherborne

Sherborne is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,361 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
10,361

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,697

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,550.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

60.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

18.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

35.5%

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.

Woodbridge, East Suffolk7,880 residents · 67.8% owned · 17.9% no carWells Town, Mendip8,317 residents · 65.5% owned · 20.9% no carTavistock, West Devon12,672 residents · 69.4% owned · 17.7% no carEastgate & Southgate, West Suffolk8,321 residents · 64.7% owned · 22.0% no carLytham, Fylde8,485 residents · 72.8% owned · 16.9% no carLudlow Town, Shropshire10,714 residents · 62.3% owned · 20.6% no car

Most similar within Dorset

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Wimborne Minster, Dorset7,987 residents · 58.0% owned · 19.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Sherborne

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

Tenure

Owned60.7%
2,851 households
Private rented19.3%
908 households
Social rented19.1%
895 households
Shared ownership0.9%
43 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced32.8%
1,539 households
Semi-detached27.2%
1,276 households
Detached23.3%
1,095 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement10.7%
504 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.9%
90 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure1.4%
68 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.4%
64 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.3%
59 households
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household49.5%
2,323 households
2 cars or vans in household24.7%
1,160 households
No cars or vans in household18.9%
889 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.9%
323 households
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms39.5%
1,855 households
2 bedrooms30.3%
1,422 households
4 or more bedrooms19.4%
909 households
1 bedroom10.8%
508 households
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household56%
2,629 households
One-person household40.9%
1,919 households
Other household types3.1%
146 households
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household40.9%
1,919 households
2 people in household36.7%
1,725 households
3 people in household11.2%
524 households
4 people in household8.2%
386 households
5 people in household2.2%
101 households
6 people in household0.5%
23 households
7 people in household0.3%
13 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515%
1,554 residents
15–2917.2%
1,784 residents
30–4412.6%
1,301 residents
45–6423.2%
2,405 residents
65 and over32%
3,320 residents
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.1%
9,955 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2%
204 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.4%
140 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.3%
33 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
27 residents
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above35.5%
3,029 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications17.4%
1,488 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications15.4%
1,316 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications14.9%
1,275 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.2%
699 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.8%
493 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
234 residents aged 16 and over
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive52.5%
4,484 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)46.2%
3,948 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
106 residents aged 16 and over
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.9%
2,040 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations12.2%
1,044 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.5%
982 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11%
939 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11%
939 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.9%
931 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students8.4%
720 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6%
515 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5%
427 residents aged 16 and over
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.7%
4,735 residents
Good health35%
3,631 residents
Fair health14.3%
1,486 residents
Bad health3.9%
403 residents
Very bad health1%
106 residents
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.3%
8,318 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.7%
2,043 residents
Sherborne · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51%
2,395 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.1%
1,603 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions12.2%
571 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.6%
120 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
5 households
Sherborne · 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.