Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005264

Plungington & University

Plungington & University is a Census neighbourhood of about 12,439 residents in Preston. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

12,439

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,912

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

6,317.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

45.1%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

35.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

30.8%

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 Zealand, Derby6,401 residents · 30.1% owned · 36.3% no carHeworth South & The Groves, York10,108 residents · 43.9% owned · 36.5% no carSt Paul's, Cheltenham8,096 residents · 40.1% owned · 32.2% no carShelton & Joiner's Square, Stoke-on-Trent10,329 residents · 36.7% owned · 39.4% no carAspley, Longley & University, Kirklees8,124 residents · 38.6% owned · 40.1% no carChapelfields, Coventry5,911 residents · 41.8% owned · 38.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Plungington & University

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

Tenure

Owned45.1%
2,214 households
Private rented42.8%
2,100 households
Social rented11.8%
579 households
Shared ownership0.4%
19 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced65.4%
3,211 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement13.2%
647 households
Semi-detached12.7%
623 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits3.2%
156 households
Detached2.7%
132 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.6%
80 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.9%
46 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.3%
15 households
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household47.1%
2,314 households
No cars or vans in household35.7%
1,753 households
2 cars or vans in household14.4%
705 households
3 or more cars or vans in household2.8%
139 households
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms41.6%
2,042 households
2 bedrooms39.2%
1,924 households
1 bedroom10.2%
499 households
4 or more bedrooms9.1%
447 households
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household50.1%
2,464 households
One-person household39.1%
1,919 households
Other household types10.8%
531 households
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household39.1%
1,920 households
2 people in household30.4%
1,492 households
3 people in household16%
787 households
4 people in household9.1%
445 households
5 people in household3.5%
170 households
6 people in household1.3%
65 households
7 people in household0.4%
20 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
13 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1514.7%
1,824 residents
15–2938.9%
4,836 residents
30–4419.3%
2,396 residents
45–6418.6%
2,317 residents
65 and over8.6%
1,067 residents
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White73.1%
9,087 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh16.7%
2,071 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.2%
524 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.7%
462 residents
Other ethnic group2.4%
293 residents
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above30.8%
3,238 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications27.6%
2,906 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications14.9%
1,562 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications11.8%
1,235 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.9%
835 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.6%
487 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
247 residents aged 16 and over
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)48.2%
5,068 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive39.6%
4,158 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student12.2%
1,283 residents aged 16 and over
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L15 Full-time students30.5%
3,202 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations13.3%
1,399 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.1%
1,376 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.3%
1,078 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10%
1,055 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7%
735 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations5.8%
611 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers5.5%
575 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.6%
479 residents aged 16 and over
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.7%
5,803 residents
Good health35.9%
4,466 residents
Fair health12.6%
1,566 residents
Bad health4%
493 residents
Very bad health0.9%
111 residents
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82%
10,201 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18%
2,238 residents
Plungington & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension46.8%
2,297 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.7%
1,706 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.3%
701 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.1%
202 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
7 households
Plungington & University · 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 Preston

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.