Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005954

Cowley South & Iffley

Cowley South & Iffley is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,482 residents in Oxford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

10,482

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,864

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,552

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

56.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

27.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

44.5%

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 Southgate & Arnos Grove, Enfield8,759 residents · 49.4% owned · 34.9% no carArbury, Cambridge9,720 residents · 47.3% owned · 34.2% no carWest Harrow, Harrow7,823 residents · 58.3% owned · 29.4% no carWest Town & Woodston, Peterborough12,527 residents · 48.8% owned · 26.2% no carEastville, Bristol, City of7,929 residents · 58.2% owned · 24.2% no carNorcot South, Reading9,836 residents · 51.9% owned · 27.5% no car

Most similar within Oxford

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Littlemore & Rose Hill, Oxford11,233 residents · 43.0% owned · 26.8% no carBarton, Oxford8,393 residents · 35.0% owned · 30.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Cowley South & Iffley

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

Tenure

Owned56.8%
2,196 households
Private rented28.8%
1,111 households
Social rented12.9%
498 households
Shared ownership1.2%
47 households
Lives rent free0.3%
12 households
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached40.8%
1,577 households
Terraced25.6%
988 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement18.5%
715 households
Detached9.6%
371 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits4.3%
165 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.8%
29 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.5%
18 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household47.8%
1,847 households
No cars or vans in household27.6%
1,066 households
2 cars or vans in household18.6%
717 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6%
232 households
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms45.4%
1,755 households
4 or more bedrooms22.5%
869 households
2 bedrooms20.3%
785 households
1 bedroom11.8%
455 households
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household54.9%
2,122 households
One-person household28.4%
1,096 households
Other household types16.7%
646 households
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household29.9%
1,155 households
1 person in household28.3%
1,095 households
3 people in household16.4%
633 households
4 people in household12.4%
480 households
5 people in household6.1%
234 households
6 people in household3.1%
120 households
8 or more people in household2%
77 households
7 people in household1.8%
70 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.4%
1,717 residents
15–2919.6%
2,054 residents
30–4425.9%
2,712 residents
45–6423.4%
2,454 residents
65 and over14.7%
1,546 residents
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White64.1%
6,722 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh20.6%
2,157 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5.2%
544 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5%
529 residents
Other ethnic group5%
528 residents
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above44.5%
3,843 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications19.2%
1,658 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications11.1%
963 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.9%
773 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications8.7%
752 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.1%
353 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.5%
302 residents aged 16 and over
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)64%
5,532 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive33.3%
2,878 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.7%
237 residents aged 16 and over
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.2%
1,572 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations17%
1,469 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations13.3%
1,153 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.1%
1,049 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.7%
750 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.4%
728 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students8.3%
721 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8%
691 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.9%
511 residents aged 16 and over
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health50.7%
5,319 residents
Good health34.2%
3,580 residents
Fair health11.6%
1,211 residents
Bad health2.8%
292 residents
Very bad health0.8%
80 residents
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.7%
8,988 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.3%
1,494 residents
Cowley South & Iffley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension49.6%
1,916 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.2%
1,320 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13%
502 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.7%
105 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
19 households
Cowley South & Iffley · 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 Oxford

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.