Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005139

Birchington

Birchington is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,864 residents in Thanet. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,864

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,287

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,538.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

82.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

19.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

25.2%

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.

Frinton West & Kirby, Tendring12,285 residents · 81.2% owned · 16.7% no carFerndown Town, Dorset7,792 residents · 73.4% owned · 15.5% no carKewhurst, Rother7,711 residents · 81.5% owned · 18.4% no carBexhill East & Pebsham, Rother8,047 residents · 76.1% owned · 17.6% no carSelsey, Chichester10,923 residents · 75.4% owned · 16.8% no carSheringham, North Norfolk7,088 residents · 71.7% owned · 19.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Birchington

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

Tenure

Owned82.2%
3,523 households
Private rented14.4%
616 households
Social rented3.1%
134 households
Shared ownership0.3%
14 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached38.9%
1,667 households
Semi-detached30.3%
1,300 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement13.2%
567 households
Terraced11.3%
484 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.7%
116 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure1.8%
77 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.2%
53 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.5%
23 households
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household46.4%
1,989 households
2 cars or vans in household25%
1,072 households
No cars or vans in household19.5%
837 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9%
386 households
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms39.9%
1,709 households
3 bedrooms35.2%
1,510 households
4 or more bedrooms17.6%
753 households
1 bedroom7.3%
313 households
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household60.4%
2,590 households
One-person household35%
1,501 households
Other household types4.5%
195 households
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household43.1%
1,847 households
1 person in household35%
1,501 households
3 people in household10.3%
440 households
4 people in household7.8%
333 households
5 people in household2.7%
115 households
6 people in household0.8%
36 households
7 people in household0.2%
8 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
7 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1511.3%
1,002 residents
15–299.9%
881 residents
30–4412%
1,061 residents
45–6425.8%
2,285 residents
65 and over41%
3,636 residents
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.2%
8,530 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.4%
121 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.3%
118 residents
Other ethnic group0.7%
62 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.4%
35 residents
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above25.2%
1,967 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications24%
1,877 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.1%
1,178 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.6%
1,065 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.5%
820 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.4%
577 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications4.1%
323 residents aged 16 and over
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive57.4%
4,486 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)41.4%
3,231 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
92 residents aged 16 and over
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.3%
1,741 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14.8%
1,155 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers13.7%
1,073 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.3%
1,039 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.3%
804 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.5%
660 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.4%
659 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.2%
405 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students3.5%
271 residents aged 16 and over
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health37.7%
3,342 residents
Good health36.8%
3,260 residents
Fair health18.3%
1,620 residents
Bad health5.7%
502 residents
Very bad health1.6%
140 residents
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act76.1%
6,743 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act23.9%
2,121 residents
Birchington · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension41.6%
1,784 households
Household is deprived in one dimension39.1%
1,677 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions16.6%
712 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.5%
109 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
5 households
Birchington · 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 Thanet

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.