Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02006279

Bury St Edmunds West

Bury St Edmunds West is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,747 residents in West Suffolk. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,747

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,068

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,915.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

66.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

20.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

29.3%

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.

Ripon South & East, Harrogate10,336 residents · 64.9% owned · 19.8% no carMarket Drayton, Shropshire12,588 residents · 65.0% owned · 17.6% no carSt Anthony's Hill, Eastbourne8,995 residents · 68.8% owned · 20.3% no carNew Costessey, South Norfolk7,535 residents · 72.2% owned · 15.5% no carThorpe St Andrew North, Broadland7,366 residents · 79.7% owned · 16.0% no carRetford East, Bassetlaw8,821 residents · 65.7% owned · 21.2% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Bury St Edmunds West

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

Tenure

Owned66.5%
2,704 households
Social rented18.3%
743 households
Private rented14.6%
595 households
Shared ownership0.6%
26 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached37.5%
1,525 households
Terraced28.1%
1,143 households
Detached24.7%
1,003 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement8.7%
353 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.5%
20 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%
13 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
11 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.6%
1,812 households
2 cars or vans in household27.2%
1,108 households
No cars or vans in household20.4%
830 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.8%
317 households
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms47.9%
1,949 households
2 bedrooms28.1%
1,142 households
4 or more bedrooms15.7%
638 households
1 bedroom8.3%
339 households
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household61.3%
2,494 households
One-person household34.6%
1,409 households
Other household types4.1%
165 households
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household37.6%
1,531 households
1 person in household34.6%
1,409 households
3 people in household12.9%
526 households
4 people in household10.6%
432 households
5 people in household3.2%
129 households
6 people in household0.6%
25 households
7 people in household0.2%
9 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
7 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.8%
1,383 residents
15–2914.4%
1,256 residents
30–4416.4%
1,433 residents
45–6426.5%
2,317 residents
65 and over27%
2,360 residents
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White95.4%
8,340 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2%
179 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.7%
147 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.6%
51 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
29 residents
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above29.3%
2,132 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications19.7%
1,430 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.5%
1,128 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.8%
1,006 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.9%
869 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.4%
468 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.4%
244 residents aged 16 and over
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)55.3%
4,025 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive43.4%
3,158 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.3%
93 residents aged 16 and over
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.9%
1,597 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.7%
1,069 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14.4%
1,045 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.4%
905 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.5%
839 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.4%
684 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6%
437 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.4%
396 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.2%
305 residents aged 16 and over
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.7%
3,823 residents
Good health36.7%
3,212 residents
Fair health14.6%
1,273 residents
Bad health3.9%
345 residents
Very bad health1.1%
92 residents
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.7%
7,059 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.3%
1,685 residents
Bury St Edmunds West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension46.4%
1,888 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.9%
1,461 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.4%
585 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.1%
128 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
6 households
Bury St Edmunds West · 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 Suffolk

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.