Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02007007

Poundbury & Dorchester West

Poundbury & Dorchester West is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,786 residents in Dorset. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Dorset
6,786

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,996

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,332.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

60.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.3%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

37.0%

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.

Saltash Town & Pillmere, Cornwall7,094 residents · 70.4% owned · 16.2% no carTruro East, Cornwall8,458 residents · 63.3% owned · 19.7% no carLee-on-the-Solent, Gosport11,111 residents · 74.8% owned · 13.5% no carWhitstable Central & Tankerton, Canterbury7,808 residents · 70.8% owned · 19.5% no carGarforth West, Leeds6,299 residents · 69.3% owned · 22.9% no carStone Town, Stafford11,081 residents · 63.5% owned · 19.0% no car

Most similar within Dorset

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Dorchester East, Dorset8,817 residents · 71.3% owned · 18.1% no carShaftesbury, Dorset9,158 residents · 62.6% owned · 14.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Poundbury & Dorchester West

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

Tenure

Owned60.4%
1,811 households
Social rented19.5%
585 households
Private rented17.7%
531 households
Shared ownership2.3%
69 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced31.8%
952 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement25.4%
762 households
Semi-detached23%
688 households
Detached16.5%
495 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.4%
43 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.3%
40 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.5%
15 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household47.8%
1,432 households
2 cars or vans in household27%
809 households
No cars or vans in household17.3%
517 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8%
239 households
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms41.2%
1,234 households
2 bedrooms29%
870 households
4 or more bedrooms20.6%
617 households
1 bedroom9.2%
276 households
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.9%
1,943 households
One-person household30.5%
912 households
Other household types4.6%
139 households
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household38.6%
1,156 households
1 person in household30.4%
912 households
3 people in household14.5%
436 households
4 people in household11.8%
353 households
5 people in household3.4%
103 households
6 people in household1.1%
33 households
7 people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
8 or more people in household0%
0 households
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.1%
1,095 residents
15–2915.9%
1,076 residents
30–4416%
1,086 residents
45–6426.4%
1,792 residents
65 and over25.6%
1,733 residents
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White93.3%
6,328 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.9%
262 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.8%
120 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.8%
53 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
20 residents
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above37%
2,075 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.3%
970 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.8%
829 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications13%
729 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.4%
528 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.8%
324 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
149 residents aged 16 and over
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)54.7%
3,065 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive43.1%
2,418 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
121 residents aged 16 and over
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.1%
1,351 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.5%
815 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.5%
703 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12%
670 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10.4%
582 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.1%
568 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.5%
310 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.4%
303 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.4%
301 residents aged 16 and over
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.4%
3,144 residents
Good health34.9%
2,370 residents
Fair health13.6%
924 residents
Bad health4%
269 residents
Very bad health1.1%
76 residents
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.1%
5,364 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.9%
1,421 residents
Poundbury & Dorchester West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension52.4%
1,571 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.3%
997 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.5%
345 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.7%
80 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
4 households
Poundbury & Dorchester 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 Dorset

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.