Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005509

Swaffham

Swaffham is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,565 residents in Breckland. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,565

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,971

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

289.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

64.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

22.0%

Adults with a degree or above

ONS Census 2021 · qualifications

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Swaffham

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

Tenure

Owned64%

2,540 households

Social rented19%

755 households

Private rented16.3%

648 households

Shared ownership0.7%

28 households

Lives rent free0%

0 households

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached44.6%

1,772 households

Semi-detached28.7%

1,141 households

Terraced15%

597 households

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement8.4%

333 households

In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%

34 households

A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.8%

32 households

Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.8%

31 households

Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.7%

29 households

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.8%

1,819 households

2 cars or vans in household27.6%

1,097 households

No cars or vans in household17.8%

707 households

3 or more cars or vans in household8.8%

348 households

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms38.8%

1,539 households

2 bedrooms33.8%

1,341 households

4 or more bedrooms18.5%

733 households

1 bedroom9%

358 households

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household63.7%

2,529 households

One-person household32.7%

1,300 households

Other household types3.6%

143 households

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household41.5%

1,648 households

1 person in household32.7%

1,300 households

3 people in household13%

517 households

4 people in household8.9%

353 households

5 people in household2.7%

108 households

6 people in household0.9%

36 households

7 people in household0.2%

8 households

8 or more people in household0%

1 households

0 people in household0%

0 households

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1514.3%

1,228 residents

15–2913.6%

1,164 residents

30–4414.9%

1,279 residents

45–6424.5%

2,102 residents

65 and over32.6%

2,790 residents

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.5%

8,274 residents

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.3%

111 residents

Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.1%

98 residents

Other ethnic group0.7%

59 residents

Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.3%

28 residents

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications24.7%

1,792 residents aged 16 and over

Level 4 qualifications or above22%

1,594 residents aged 16 and over

Level 2 qualifications15.7%

1,136 residents aged 16 and over

Level 3 qualifications15.4%

1,115 residents aged 16 and over

Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.2%

884 residents aged 16 and over

Apprenticeship6.8%

491 residents aged 16 and over

Other qualifications3.4%

245 residents aged 16 and over

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive51.4%

3,726 residents aged 16 and over

Economically active (excluding full-time students)47.7%

3,461 residents aged 16 and over

Economically active and a full-time student0.9%

67 residents aged 16 and over

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.4%

1,404 residents aged 16 and over

L12 Semi-routine occupations16.2%

1,174 residents aged 16 and over

L13 Routine occupations15%

1,088 residents aged 16 and over

L7 Intermediate occupations12.4%

896 residents aged 16 and over

L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11%

797 residents aged 16 and over

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.1%

588 residents aged 16 and over

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.1%

588 residents aged 16 and over

L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations7%

508 residents aged 16 and over

L15 Full-time students2.9%

211 residents aged 16 and over

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Good health38.9%

3,336 residents

Very good health36.6%

3,135 residents

Fair health17.8%

1,521 residents

Bad health5.5%

472 residents

Very bad health1.2%

101 residents

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act76.9%

6,586 residents

Disabled under the Equality Act23.1%

1,979 residents

Swaffham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension42.2%

1,673 households

Household is deprived in one dimension37.6%

1,493 households

Household is deprived in two dimensions16.8%

668 households

Household is deprived in three dimensions3.3%

131 households

Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%

4 households

Swaffham · 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 Breckland

Evidence ledger

Source and date are part of the record.

All statistics on this pageONS · Census 2021, Open Government Licence v3.0
Neighbourhood nameHouse of Commons Library · MSOA Names, Open Parliament Licence
GeographyONS Middle layer Super Output Area E02005509

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.

Swaffham

Usual residents

Households

Residents per km²

Households owning their home

Households with no car or van

Adults with a degree or above

Neighbourhoods most like this one

Life in Swaffham

Tenure

Accommodation type

Car or van availability

Number of bedrooms

Household composition

Household size

Age

Ethnic group

Highest qualification

Economic activity

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

General health

Disability

Household deprivation

Alike on the Census, which is not the same as alike to live in.

Source and date are part of the record.