Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005126

Sittingbourne West

Sittingbourne West is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,164 residents in Swale. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,164

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,299

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,956.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

76.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

16.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

23.1%

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.

New Duston East, West Northamptonshire6,569 residents · 82.4% owned · 14.0% no carRainham South East, Medway6,422 residents · 79.7% owned · 14.8% no carBedhampton, Havant9,308 residents · 78.4% owned · 14.0% no carBracebridge South & Swallow Beck, Lincoln11,351 residents · 75.7% owned · 16.1% no carHawne, Dudley7,815 residents · 74.4% owned · 17.8% no carEastwood, Southend-on-Sea10,581 residents · 70.9% owned · 17.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Sittingbourne West

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

Tenure

Owned76.3%
2,518 households
Private rented15.2%
501 households
Social rented8.1%
267 households
Shared ownership0.4%
13 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached54.6%
1,800 households
Terraced22.9%
754 households
Detached14.8%
487 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement5.5%
181 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.4%
47 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.5%
18 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
9 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42%
1,387 households
2 cars or vans in household29.6%
977 households
No cars or vans in household16.4%
541 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.9%
394 households
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms53.9%
1,778 households
2 bedrooms23.9%
787 households
4 or more bedrooms17.2%
568 households
1 bedroom5%
165 households
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household69.3%
2,285 households
One-person household25.7%
848 households
Other household types5%
164 households
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household36.5%
1,205 households
1 person in household25.7%
848 households
3 people in household16.5%
545 households
4 people in household14.1%
466 households
5 people in household4.6%
153 households
6 people in household1.7%
55 households
7 people in household0.4%
14 households
8 or more people in household0.4%
13 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.7%
1,447 residents
15–2915.8%
1,292 residents
30–4418.2%
1,485 residents
45–6424.5%
2,001 residents
65 and over23.7%
1,938 residents
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White93.5%
7,641 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2%
166 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2%
161 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.9%
159 residents
Other ethnic group0.5%
41 residents
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above23.1%
1,536 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications21.1%
1,403 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.5%
1,160 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.5%
1,028 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.8%
785 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.5%
497 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.4%
226 residents aged 16 and over
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.4%
3,742 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.2%
2,800 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.4%
95 residents aged 16 and over
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.7%
1,305 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14%
930 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.8%
915 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.5%
828 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.6%
767 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.6%
635 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.5%
497 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.7%
444 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.7%
314 residents aged 16 and over
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45%
3,676 residents
Good health35.8%
2,921 residents
Fair health14.2%
1,162 residents
Bad health3.8%
309 residents
Very bad health1.2%
95 residents
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.5%
6,651 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.5%
1,513 residents
Sittingbourne West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension47.6%
1,571 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.1%
1,159 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.2%
469 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.8%
93 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
7 households
Sittingbourne West · 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 Swale

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.