Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · W02000235

Porthcawl West

Porthcawl West is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,174 residents in Bridgend. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bridgend
9,174

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,224

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,307.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

79.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

16.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

39.2%

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.

Formby Central & Freshfield South, Sefton6,057 residents · 78.9% owned · 17.9% no carTavistock, West Devon12,672 residents · 69.4% owned · 17.7% no carBarnard's Green, Malvern Hills5,989 residents · 68.6% owned · 16.7% no carWest Cross, Swansea6,278 residents · 69.7% owned · 19.9% no carAnsdell & Fairhaven, Fylde10,215 residents · 74.6% owned · 16.9% no carBirkdale, Sefton9,277 residents · 74.4% owned · 20.3% no car

Most similar within Bridgend

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Porthcawl East, Bridgend6,958 residents · 73.1% owned · 18.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Porthcawl West

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

Tenure

Owned79.8%
3,369 households
Private rented16.3%
690 households
Social rented3.3%
141 households
Shared ownership0.5%
22 households
Lives rent free0%
2 households
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached40.3%
1,704 households
Semi-detached29.3%
1,237 households
Terraced11%
463 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement10.5%
443 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits6.6%
279 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.6%
68 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.7%
30 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.6%
1,757 households
2 cars or vans in household29.5%
1,246 households
No cars or vans in household16.9%
713 households
3 or more cars or vans in household12%
508 households
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms37.9%
1,600 households
4 or more bedrooms30.9%
1,307 households
2 bedrooms22.6%
953 households
1 bedroom8.6%
364 households
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household61.7%
2,605 households
One-person household34.6%
1,461 households
Other household types3.7%
155 households
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household38.2%
1,615 households
1 person in household34.6%
1,461 households
3 people in household14.2%
601 households
4 people in household9.1%
386 households
5 people in household3.1%
131 households
6 people in household0.5%
22 households
7 people in household0.1%
5 households
8 or more people in household0%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1511.5%
1,058 residents
15–2911.7%
1,073 residents
30–4412.5%
1,146 residents
45–6429.3%
2,685 residents
65 and over35%
3,207 residents
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White98%
8,988 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups0.9%
87 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh0.5%
50 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
30 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.2%
19 residents
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above39.2%
3,147 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications17.3%
1,390 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications14.3%
1,145 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13%
1,044 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.6%
606 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.6%
453 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
240 residents aged 16 and over
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive52.5%
4,209 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)46.3%
3,719 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
96 residents aged 16 and over
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations25.3%
2,029 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.5%
1,246 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.3%
906 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.1%
892 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.3%
826 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.4%
675 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.1%
648 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.9%
477 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.1%
327 residents aged 16 and over
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44.8%
4,106 residents
Good health32.3%
2,966 residents
Fair health15.8%
1,452 residents
Bad health5.5%
505 residents
Very bad health1.6%
144 residents
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act77.4%
7,099 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act22.6%
2,073 residents
Porthcawl West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension50.3%
2,127 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.1%
1,397 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13%
551 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.4%
143 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
8 households
Porthcawl 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 Bridgend

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.