Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005588

Bowthorpe & West Earlham

Bowthorpe & West Earlham is a Census neighbourhood of about 13,033 residents in Norwich. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

13,033

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,018

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,023.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

33.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

26.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

25.1%

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.

Mincinglake & Beacon Heath, Exeter7,096 residents · 50.4% owned · 26.4% no carDines Green & St Johns, Worcester8,982 residents · 49.6% owned · 25.5% no carTrefforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf10,431 residents · 44.5% owned · 32.9% no carCanterbury Wincheap, Canterbury6,417 residents · 39.8% owned · 29.7% no carMonks Road, St Giles & Greetwell, Lincoln12,718 residents · 35.5% owned · 36.9% no carCanley & Westwood Heath, Coventry8,985 residents · 47.8% owned · 31.2% no car

Most similar within Norwich

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Earlham, Norwich12,265 residents · 36.9% owned · 29.9% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Bowthorpe & West Earlham

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

Tenure

Social rented39.7%
1,992 households
Owned33.7%
1,693 households
Private rented25.6%
1,286 households
Shared ownership0.7%
34 households
Lives rent free0.3%
13 households
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached39.6%
1,988 households
Terraced21.3%
1,067 households
Detached20.6%
1,033 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement17.2%
861 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
51 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.2%
9 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
6 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household46.1%
2,312 households
No cars or vans in household26.6%
1,335 households
2 cars or vans in household21.1%
1,057 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.3%
314 households
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms43.9%
2,203 households
2 bedrooms26.4%
1,324 households
4 or more bedrooms18.9%
950 households
1 bedroom10.8%
541 households
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household56.8%
2,849 households
One-person household28.5%
1,431 households
Other household types14.7%
740 households
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household29%
1,455 households
1 person in household28.5%
1,431 households
3 people in household17.2%
862 households
4 people in household14.2%
713 households
5 people in household6.9%
345 households
6 people in household3.1%
158 households
7 people in household0.7%
37 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
17 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.4%
2,396 residents
15–2930%
3,908 residents
30–4419.4%
2,529 residents
45–6419.3%
2,509 residents
65 and over13%
1,688 residents
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White83%
10,821 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh7.6%
994 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.6%
463 residents
Other ethnic group2.9%
378 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.9%
376 residents
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above25.1%
2,641 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications24.6%
2,579 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications20.4%
2,141 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.5%
1,312 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.3%
1,078 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.5%
472 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
281 residents aged 16 and over
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)48.6%
5,109 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive44.8%
4,709 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student6.5%
686 residents aged 16 and over
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L15 Full-time students22.8%
2,392 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations15.5%
1,627 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.9%
1,460 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.9%
1,254 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.7%
916 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.7%
910 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers6.9%
722 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations6.7%
708 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.9%
515 residents aged 16 and over
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.8%
5,971 residents
Good health35%
4,561 residents
Fair health13.4%
1,741 residents
Bad health4.6%
600 residents
Very bad health1.2%
160 residents
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act78.9%
10,278 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act21.1%
2,755 residents
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension38%
1,907 households
Household is deprived in one dimension37.2%
1,867 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions19.1%
959 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5.4%
271 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
14 households
Bowthorpe & West Earlham · 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 Norwich

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.