Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · W02000215

Aberafan

Aberafan is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,464 residents in Neath Port Talbot. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Neath Port Talbot
9,464

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,396

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,487

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

52.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

30.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

21.5%

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.

Llanelli South, Carmarthenshire10,309 residents · 47.6% owned · 31.0% no carHuyton East, Knowsley7,499 residents · 50.3% owned · 37.1% no carWoodchurch, Wirral6,730 residents · 45.1% owned · 35.6% no carRift House & Summerhill, Hartlepool6,473 residents · 53.8% owned · 34.2% no carPorth West, Rhondda Cynon Taf5,450 residents · 61.2% owned · 29.2% no carThatto Heath, St. Helens7,477 residents · 48.2% owned · 33.9% no car

Most similar within Neath Port Talbot

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Briton Ferry, Neath Port Talbot7,821 residents · 55.2% owned · 28.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Aberafan

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

Tenure

Owned52.2%
2,295 households
Social rented25.6%
1,125 households
Private rented21.7%
953 households
Lives rent free0.4%
17 households
Shared ownership0.1%
6 households
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced39.2%
1,725 households
Semi-detached34%
1,495 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement16.4%
720 households
Detached8.2%
360 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.4%
60 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.5%
24 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
12 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.9%
1,886 households
No cars or vans in household30.8%
1,353 households
2 cars or vans in household20.7%
910 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.6%
247 households
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms58.8%
2,584 households
2 bedrooms23%
1,009 households
4 or more bedrooms9.2%
406 households
1 bedroom9%
397 households
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household57.9%
2,546 households
One-person household37.2%
1,635 households
Other household types4.9%
217 households
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household37.2%
1,634 households
2 people in household32.4%
1,425 households
3 people in household15.5%
683 households
4 people in household9.9%
434 households
5 people in household3.6%
159 households
6 people in household0.9%
41 households
7 people in household0.2%
10 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
7 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.4%
1,738 residents
15–2916.9%
1,602 residents
30–4419.6%
1,857 residents
45–6426.4%
2,502 residents
65 and over18.6%
1,765 residents
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White94.5%
8,937 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3%
280 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.5%
145 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.5%
50 residents
Other ethnic group0.5%
50 residents
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications29.7%
2,261 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above21.5%
1,640 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.3%
1,168 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.2%
1,156 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.9%
754 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6%
459 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
186 residents aged 16 and over
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)49.7%
3,788 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive48.8%
3,722 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
115 residents aged 16 and over
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations19.6%
1,493 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations17%
1,294 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.4%
1,094 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed13.3%
1,012 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.2%
852 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations8.2%
627 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers6.1%
462 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.2%
395 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations5.2%
393 residents aged 16 and over
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health43.7%
4,132 residents
Good health30%
2,837 residents
Fair health16.2%
1,536 residents
Bad health7.5%
710 residents
Very bad health2.6%
249 residents
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act73.4%
6,947 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act26.6%
2,517 residents
Aberafan · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension36%
1,584 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.8%
1,443 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions21.8%
957 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions9.1%
401 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
11 households
Aberafan · 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 Neath Port Talbot

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.