Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02006019

Wem

Wem is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,283 residents in Shropshire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Shropshire
6,283

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,828

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,712.5

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

67.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.2%

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.

Gillingham, Dorset7,315 residents · 69.3% owned · 15.8% no carRetford East, Bassetlaw8,821 residents · 65.7% owned · 21.2% no carBrightlingsea & Point Clear, Tendring8,908 residents · 74.0% owned · 14.5% no carHorncastle, East Lindsey7,554 residents · 65.0% owned · 17.6% no carWadebridge, Cornwall6,811 residents · 65.5% owned · 15.4% no carCheadle Town, Staffordshire Moorlands6,186 residents · 67.0% owned · 21.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Wem

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

Tenure

Owned67.9%
1,919 households
Private rented17.8%
502 households
Social rented13.9%
392 households
Shared ownership0.4%
11 households
Lives rent free0.1%
4 households
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached41.6%
1,176 households
Semi-detached29.4%
832 households
Terraced16.1%
455 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement8.9%
251 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.6%
44 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.3%
36 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.1%
32 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.2%
1,278 households
2 cars or vans in household26.8%
757 households
No cars or vans in household17.2%
485 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10.9%
307 households
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms35.4%
1,002 households
2 bedrooms34.8%
984 households
4 or more bedrooms21.1%
597 households
1 bedroom8.6%
244 households
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household60.8%
1,721 households
One-person household35.8%
1,014 households
Other household types3.4%
95 households
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household35.9%
1,015 households
2 people in household35.2%
996 households
3 people in household12.8%
361 households
4 people in household10.8%
306 households
5 people in household2.7%
76 households
7 people in household1.7%
48 households
6 people in household0.8%
24 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1513.7%
858 residents
15–2918%
1,129 residents
30–4414.7%
924 residents
45–6427%
1,697 residents
65 and over26.7%
1,676 residents
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White97.8%
6,144 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1%
60 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.7%
46 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.3%
16 residents
Other ethnic group0.2%
15 residents
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above25.1%
1,341 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19.4%
1,034 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.3%
977 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications17%
906 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.4%
557 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7%
373 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
155 residents aged 16 and over
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)53.4%
2,856 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive44.8%
2,396 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.8%
95 residents aged 16 and over
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations18%
964 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.5%
777 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14.5%
773 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers12.3%
656 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.4%
609 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.8%
471 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.5%
402 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.9%
370 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6%
323 residents aged 16 and over
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.4%
2,725 residents
Good health34.7%
2,178 residents
Fair health15.5%
974 residents
Bad health5%
317 residents
Very bad health1.4%
89 residents
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act78.6%
4,940 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act21.4%
1,341 residents
Wem · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension44.1%
1,247 households
Household is deprived in one dimension36.6%
1,034 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15.4%
436 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.6%
101 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
9 households
Wem · 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 Shropshire

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.