Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02006849

Groundwell & Abbey Meads

Groundwell & Abbey Meads is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,334 residents in Swindon. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Swindon
10,334

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,931

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,677.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

78.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

5.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.2%

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.

Maidenbower East & Worth, Crawley7,848 residents · 77.6% owned · 6.5% no carEmersons Green, South Gloucestershire12,403 residents · 73.1% owned · 7.0% no carWick Hill, Bracknell Forest10,265 residents · 73.2% owned · 8.0% no carHatch Warren, Basingstoke and Deane8,753 residents · 77.9% owned · 4.6% no carEast Hunsbury, West Northamptonshire9,051 residents · 74.7% owned · 6.6% no carBicester North, Cherwell6,726 residents · 66.8% owned · 8.9% no car

Most similar within Swindon

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Mouldon Hill & Oakhurst, Swindon9,908 residents · 71.7% owned · 6.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Groundwell & Abbey Meads

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

Tenure

Owned78.2%
3,076 households
Private rented17.6%
692 households
Social rented3.9%
152 households
Shared ownership0.3%
10 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached48.9%
1,924 households
Terraced21.7%
853 households
Semi-detached20.6%
808 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement6.4%
252 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure1.5%
58 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
17 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
12 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.2%
7 households
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

2 cars or vans in household43.5%
1,709 households
1 car or van in household37.8%
1,485 households
3 or more cars or vans in household12.8%
505 households
No cars or vans in household5.9%
231 households
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

4 or more bedrooms39.2%
1,541 households
3 bedrooms36.8%
1,445 households
2 bedrooms21.1%
829 households
1 bedroom3%
116 households
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household75%
2,949 households
One-person household19.8%
779 households
Other household types5.2%
206 households
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household33.6%
1,321 households
4 people in household20.4%
801 households
3 people in household19.9%
782 households
1 person in household19.8%
779 households
5 people in household5.1%
201 households
6 people in household1%
39 households
7 people in household0.1%
4 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.7%
2,143 residents
15–2916.4%
1,693 residents
30–4423.2%
2,399 residents
45–6429%
3,000 residents
65 and over10.6%
1,100 residents
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White84.8%
8,763 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh7.5%
771 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.5%
359 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.9%
302 residents
Other ethnic group1.3%
139 residents
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.2%
2,674 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications21.2%
1,703 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16.8%
1,350 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.9%
876 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications10.5%
846 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5%
406 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
192 residents aged 16 and over
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)72.7%
5,851 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive25.3%
2,033 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2%
163 residents aged 16 and over
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.1%
1,859 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.5%
1,491 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14.9%
1,200 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.6%
857 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.6%
690 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.5%
680 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.9%
472 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.6%
453 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.3%
345 residents aged 16 and over
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health54.8%
5,663 residents
Good health34%
3,512 residents
Fair health8.7%
901 residents
Bad health2%
204 residents
Very bad health0.5%
54 residents
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act88.4%
9,136 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act11.6%
1,198 residents
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension63.2%
2,486 households
Household is deprived in one dimension28.6%
1,123 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions7.1%
280 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1%
40 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
2 households
Groundwell & Abbey Meads · 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 Swindon

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.