Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · W02000024

Bala & Mawddwy

Bala & Mawddwy is a Census neighbourhood of about 5,679 residents in Gwynedd. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Gwynedd
5,679

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,551

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

10.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

66.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

13.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

34.8%

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.

Llanrwst & Betws-y-coed, Conwy8,521 residents · 69.1% owned · 13.1% no carLlanidloes, Blaen Hafren & Llandinam, Powys6,491 residents · 70.0% owned · 11.3% no carHay-on-Wye & Talgarth, Powys8,461 residents · 68.5% owned · 10.6% no carCorwen, Llanelidan & Efenechdyd, Denbighshire5,186 residents · 71.9% owned · 8.9% no carAppleby, Shap & Kirkby Thore, Eden10,218 residents · 72.0% owned · 9.3% no carKirkby Stephen, Tebay & Brough, Eden7,724 residents · 72.7% owned · 9.3% no car

Most similar within Gwynedd

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Abersoch & Aberdaron, Gwynedd5,284 residents · 67.2% owned · 9.2% no carCricieth & Llanaelhaearn, Gwynedd6,483 residents · 71.6% owned · 11.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Bala & Mawddwy

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

Tenure

Owned66.4%
1,694 households
Private rented18.7%
476 households
Social rented14.5%
369 households
Shared ownership0.3%
8 households
Lives rent free0.2%
4 households
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached45.7%
1,167 households
Terraced26.9%
686 households
Semi-detached19.5%
498 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement4.8%
122 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.3%
34 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
25 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%
10 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.4%
9 households
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household40.5%
1,033 households
2 cars or vans in household30.6%
782 households
3 or more cars or vans in household15.2%
389 households
No cars or vans in household13.6%
348 households
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms48%
1,225 households
2 bedrooms23.5%
599 households
4 or more bedrooms23.3%
595 households
1 bedroom5.2%
134 households
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household61%
1,555 households
One-person household35.1%
894 households
Other household types4%
101 households
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household35%
894 households
2 people in household34.8%
889 households
3 people in household13.3%
339 households
4 people in household10.2%
261 households
5 people in household4.9%
126 households
6 people in household1.2%
30 households
7 people in household0.2%
6 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.5%
881 residents
15–2913.7%
778 residents
30–4415.8%
898 residents
45–6431.1%
1,765 residents
65 and over23.9%
1,356 residents
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White98.6%
5,598 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.7%
39 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.7%
37 residents
Other ethnic group0.1%
4 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0%
2 residents
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above34.8%
1,648 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.1%
857 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16%
757 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.7%
695 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8%
378 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.3%
253 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.2%
151 residents aged 16 and over
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)59.7%
2,832 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive39.1%
1,855 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.1%
53 residents aged 16 and over
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers21.2%
1,004 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.5%
972 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations13.7%
650 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.4%
491 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.7%
414 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.1%
386 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.9%
325 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.7%
270 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.8%
226 residents aged 16 and over
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health51.9%
2,946 residents
Good health30.8%
1,750 residents
Fair health13.1%
742 residents
Bad health3.3%
185 residents
Very bad health1%
56 residents
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act83.5%
4,743 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act16.5%
936 residents
Bala & Mawddwy · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51%
1,301 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35%
893 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.8%
300 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.2%
57 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
0 households
Bala & Mawddwy · 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 Gwynedd

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.