Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004272

Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown

Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown is a Census neighbourhood of about 12,206 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
12,206

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,342

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

44.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

71.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

8.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

38.6%

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.

Oakhill, Horrington & Chewton Mendip, Mendip7,747 residents · 74.7% owned · 8.9% no carFramlingham & Hacheston, East Suffolk10,053 residents · 71.2% owned · 8.3% no carWiveliscombe & Milverton, Somerset West and Taunton5,756 residents · 71.6% owned · 7.8% no carTisbury, Donhead & Tollard Royal, Wiltshire6,163 residents · 68.0% owned · 9.3% no carFordingbridge, Rockbourne & Woodgreen, New Forest10,923 residents · 72.4% owned · 10.3% no carCastle Cary & Kenton Mandeville, South Somerset9,088 residents · 73.3% owned · 8.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown

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

Tenure

Owned71.5%
3,822 households
Private rented16.2%
866 households
Social rented11%
585 households
Shared ownership1.3%
69 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached40.2%
2,145 households
Semi-detached32.8%
1,753 households
Terraced17.1%
913 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement5.3%
282 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.7%
143 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
52 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.5%
29 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.5%
25 households
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

2 cars or vans in household37.2%
1,987 households
1 car or van in household37%
1,975 households
3 or more cars or vans in household17.7%
948 households
No cars or vans in household8.1%
432 households
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms41.5%
2,215 households
4 or more bedrooms30.2%
1,612 households
2 bedrooms23.1%
1,235 households
1 bedroom5.2%
279 households
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household68%
3,629 households
One-person household27.4%
1,461 households
Other household types4.7%
250 households
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household42.7%
2,280 households
1 person in household27.3%
1,461 households
3 people in household13.5%
719 households
4 people in household12.1%
644 households
5 people in household3.3%
176 households
6 people in household0.8%
44 households
7 people in household0.2%
11 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
9 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1514.2%
1,739 residents
15–2912.2%
1,493 residents
30–4413.6%
1,658 residents
45–6431.3%
3,822 residents
65 and over28.6%
3,493 residents
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White98.2%
11,986 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.9%
107 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.6%
77 residents
Other ethnic group0.2%
22 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.1%
15 residents
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above38.6%
3,990 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.5%
1,802 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.7%
1,418 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications13.1%
1,356 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.6%
892 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.7%
588 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
278 residents aged 16 and over
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.1%
5,794 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.6%
4,401 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
129 residents aged 16 and over
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.3%
2,505 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers16.3%
1,684 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.2%
1,677 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.2%
1,157 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.1%
1,043 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.3%
861 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.1%
526 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.6%
476 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students3.8%
395 residents aged 16 and over
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.2%
5,886 residents
Good health34.4%
4,194 residents
Fair health13%
1,587 residents
Bad health3.4%
413 residents
Very bad health1%
126 residents
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82%
10,010 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18%
2,196 residents
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension54.8%
2,929 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33%
1,764 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.5%
559 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.6%
84 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
5 households
Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas & Puddletown · 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.