Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004331

Thornley & Wheatley Hill

Thornley & Wheatley Hill is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,186 residents in County Durham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for County Durham
7,186

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,258

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

571.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

60.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

25.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

20.3%

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.

Hemsworth Town, Wakefield8,147 residents · 59.5% owned · 25.8% no carYstalyfera & Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Neath Port Talbot10,178 residents · 67.8% owned · 16.3% no carRyhill & South Hiendley, Wakefield6,297 residents · 63.5% owned · 19.5% no carWorsbrough, Barnsley9,434 residents · 57.2% owned · 27.1% no carSt Cattwg, Caerphilly7,488 residents · 67.9% owned · 19.0% no carSirhowy, Blaenau Gwent6,660 residents · 60.9% owned · 22.3% no car

Most similar within County Durham

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Shotton & Haswell, County Durham6,766 residents · 57.9% owned · 25.0% no carCrook North & Tow Law, County Durham9,361 residents · 53.9% owned · 25.7% no carTrimdon & Fishburn, County Durham7,001 residents · 61.9% owned · 23.3% no carCoundon North, County Durham7,235 residents · 52.3% owned · 28.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Thornley & Wheatley Hill

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

Tenure

Owned60.8%
1,982 households
Social rented23.8%
775 households
Private rented15%
489 households
Lives rent free0.2%
6 households
Shared ownership0.2%
6 households
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached51%
1,661 households
Terraced27.5%
896 households
Detached20.9%
682 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement0.2%
7 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.2%
5 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.1%
3 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0%
0 households
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household40.7%
1,324 households
No cars or vans in household25.7%
836 households
2 cars or vans in household25.5%
829 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.2%
268 households
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms47.7%
1,556 households
2 bedrooms32.8%
1,068 households
4 or more bedrooms12.7%
413 households
1 bedroom6.8%
222 households
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.4%
2,093 households
One-person household33%
1,073 households
Other household types2.6%
86 households
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household36.2%
1,179 households
1 person in household32.9%
1,073 households
3 people in household17.2%
559 households
4 people in household9.3%
302 households
5 people in household3.1%
102 households
6 people in household1%
31 households
7 people in household0.2%
7 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.7%
1,202 residents
15–2916.9%
1,212 residents
30–4417.6%
1,267 residents
45–6428.3%
2,031 residents
65 and over20.5%
1,474 residents
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White98.1%
7,052 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.9%
64 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.6%
46 residents
Other ethnic group0.2%
14 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.2%
13 residents
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications28.4%
1,681 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above20.3%
1,204 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.6%
1,100 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.5%
857 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.1%
598 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.9%
349 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.3%
136 residents aged 16 and over
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)53.1%
3,148 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive46.1%
2,730 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student0.8%
48 residents aged 16 and over
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations18.8%
1,113 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.5%
861 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.3%
848 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed13.9%
821 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.1%
660 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations8.6%
511 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.8%
461 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations6.4%
381 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.5%
269 residents aged 16 and over
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health40.3%
2,898 residents
Good health32%
2,300 residents
Fair health17.5%
1,259 residents
Bad health7.8%
558 residents
Very bad health2.4%
171 residents
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act73.2%
5,263 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act26.8%
1,923 residents
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension37.3%
1,216 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.3%
1,119 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions22.1%
720 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.2%
202 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
2 households
Thornley & Wheatley Hill · 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 County Durham

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.