Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005163

Southborough West

Southborough West is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,078 residents in Tunbridge Wells. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,078

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,124

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,217

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

72.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

12.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

40.5%

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.

Reigate South Park, Reigate and Banstead6,788 residents · 66.7% owned · 12.0% no carColney Heath & Highfield Park, St Albans6,266 residents · 69.5% owned · 10.0% no carKnaphill, Woking8,342 residents · 69.0% owned · 11.7% no carOxted South, Tandridge6,630 residents · 68.6% owned · 10.1% no carWelwyn & Hatfield Garden Village, Welwyn Hatfield8,138 residents · 68.9% owned · 10.3% no carLoughton North, Epping Forest9,863 residents · 76.4% owned · 11.9% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Southborough West

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

Tenure

Owned72.2%
2,255 households
Private rented15.6%
488 households
Social rented11.6%
362 households
Shared ownership0.6%
18 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached39.4%
1,230 households
Detached27.5%
858 households
Terraced19%
595 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement8%
249 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits3.6%
112 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.6%
50 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1%
30 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.3%
1,321 households
2 cars or vans in household33.4%
1,043 households
No cars or vans in household12.7%
396 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.7%
364 households
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms37.6%
1,176 households
4 or more bedrooms32%
1,001 households
2 bedrooms23%
718 households
1 bedroom7.4%
231 households
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household73.8%
2,308 households
One-person household22.6%
706 households
Other household types3.7%
115 households
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household32.5%
1,016 households
1 person in household22.6%
706 households
3 people in household19.8%
618 households
4 people in household18.9%
592 households
5 people in household4.6%
145 households
6 people in household1.1%
34 households
7 people in household0.3%
9 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.2%
1,634 residents
15–2914.8%
1,196 residents
30–4418.9%
1,527 residents
45–6429.5%
2,382 residents
65 and over16.6%
1,341 residents
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White91.5%
7,396 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.5%
283 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.2%
255 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1%
82 residents
Other ethnic group0.8%
65 residents
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above40.5%
2,563 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.5%
1,043 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.1%
956 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications12.3%
780 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.1%
576 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.3%
269 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.2%
139 residents aged 16 and over
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)65.6%
4,146 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive33.1%
2,092 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.3%
85 residents aged 16 and over
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.6%
1,554 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.8%
1,187 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.9%
819 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.6%
736 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.2%
582 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations7.4%
466 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6%
377 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.2%
326 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.4%
279 residents aged 16 and over
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health54.3%
4,386 residents
Good health31.1%
2,513 residents
Fair health10.5%
849 residents
Bad health3.4%
274 residents
Very bad health0.7%
59 residents
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act84.8%
6,853 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act15.2%
1,227 residents
Southborough West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension57.3%
1,790 households
Household is deprived in one dimension29.1%
911 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.9%
340 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.5%
79 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
6 households
Southborough 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 Tunbridge Wells

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.