Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005313

Skelmersdale Central

Skelmersdale Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,876 residents in West Lancashire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,876

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,591

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,799.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

47.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

33.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

18.5%

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.

New Rossington, Doncaster7,900 residents · 53.5% owned · 28.6% no carBlacon North, Cheshire West and Chester6,243 residents · 47.9% owned · 30.8% no carLittle Sutton East, Cheshire West and Chester6,869 residents · 48.4% owned · 27.9% no carInce-in-Makerfield, Wigan8,122 residents · 45.4% owned · 32.6% no carDitton, Halton7,890 residents · 53.9% owned · 29.0% no carHulme, Warrington8,070 residents · 45.6% owned · 30.7% no car

Most similar within West Lancashire

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Skelmersdale South East, West Lancashire7,306 residents · 39.5% owned · 40.2% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Skelmersdale Central

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

Tenure

Owned47.8%
1,718 households
Social rented33.2%
1,193 households
Private rented18.2%
652 households
Lives rent free0.4%
14 households
Shared ownership0.4%
14 households
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced55.3%
1,984 households
Semi-detached23.2%
833 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement14.4%
518 households
Detached6%
216 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.6%
23 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.2%
8 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.2%
7 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0%
1 households
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.9%
1,575 households
No cars or vans in household33.8%
1,213 households
2 cars or vans in household17.2%
617 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.2%
186 households
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms62.6%
2,246 households
2 bedrooms14.2%
511 households
4 or more bedrooms13.3%
479 households
1 bedroom9.9%
354 households
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household62.8%
2,256 households
One-person household29.7%
1,068 households
Other household types7.4%
266 households
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household29.8%
1,071 households
1 person in household29.7%
1,068 households
3 people in household18%
646 households
4 people in household14.5%
521 households
5 people in household5.7%
205 households
6 people in household1.6%
57 households
7 people in household0.5%
19 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1521.1%
1,874 residents
15–2919.4%
1,725 residents
30–4421%
1,866 residents
45–6424.9%
2,215 residents
65 and over13.5%
1,199 residents
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.1%
8,527 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.7%
147 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.1%
97 residents
Other ethnic group0.8%
68 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.4%
36 residents
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications26.7%
1,835 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.6%
1,279 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above18.5%
1,270 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.5%
1,068 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications13.1%
898 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.1%
348 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.6%
179 residents aged 16 and over
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)57.3%
3,938 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive40.5%
2,784 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
152 residents aged 16 and over
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations24.7%
1,698 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations16.1%
1,107 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed12.5%
862 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations12.1%
833 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9%
617 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students8.1%
556 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7%
478 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6%
412 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations4.6%
313 residents aged 16 and over
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.9%
3,901 residents
Good health33.2%
2,946 residents
Fair health14.9%
1,319 residents
Bad health5.9%
522 residents
Very bad health2.1%
190 residents
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act77%
6,838 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act23%
2,039 residents
Skelmersdale Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension38%
1,363 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.1%
1,260 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions19.8%
711 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7%
252 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
5 households
Skelmersdale Central · 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 West Lancashire

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.