Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · W02000397

Fairwater South

Fairwater South is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,425 residents in Cardiff. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Cardiff
6,425

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,911

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,279.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

63.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

28.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

28.8%

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.

Gaer, Newport5,781 residents · 63.7% owned · 27.0% no carCentral Bridgend, Bridgend8,318 residents · 55.2% owned · 30.6% no carWavertree East, Liverpool7,374 residents · 52.5% owned · 37.5% no carBeechwood, Newport6,271 residents · 62.0% owned · 25.9% no carNewtonmoor, Tameside7,438 residents · 52.2% owned · 28.9% no carDovecot, Liverpool6,065 residents · 57.8% owned · 36.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Fairwater South

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

Tenure

Owned63.9%
1,860 households
Social rented25%
727 households
Private rented10.7%
312 households
Lives rent free0.3%
8 households
Shared ownership0.1%
4 households
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached44.7%
1,302 households
Terraced26.6%
774 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement21.9%
638 households
Detached5.4%
157 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
29 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%
9 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
3 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.1%
1,226 households
No cars or vans in household28%
816 households
2 cars or vans in household22.7%
660 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.2%
211 households
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms56.9%
1,657 households
1 bedroom18.7%
545 households
2 bedrooms12.8%
374 households
4 or more bedrooms11.6%
337 households
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household57.2%
1,667 households
One-person household38.4%
1,119 households
Other household types4.3%
126 households
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household38.4%
1,119 households
2 people in household29.2%
850 households
3 people in household15.1%
440 households
4 people in household12.1%
352 households
5 people in household3.6%
104 households
6 people in household1.1%
31 households
7 people in household0.4%
13 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.3%
1,047 residents
15–2916.6%
1,068 residents
30–4419.8%
1,273 residents
45–6428.4%
1,823 residents
65 and over18.9%
1,214 residents
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White90%
5,788 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.6%
229 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.3%
214 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2%
127 residents
Other ethnic group1.1%
70 residents
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above28.8%
1,528 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications23.6%
1,251 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.1%
798 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.9%
788 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9%
478 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.7%
304 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
154 residents aged 16 and over
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)55.1%
2,921 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.7%
2,265 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
117 residents aged 16 and over
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.2%
1,073 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.6%
719 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.2%
701 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.9%
686 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed10.1%
536 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.5%
453 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.5%
453 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students7.3%
388 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.5%
292 residents aged 16 and over
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health41.6%
2,675 residents
Good health33%
2,118 residents
Fair health16%
1,030 residents
Bad health7.1%
453 residents
Very bad health2.3%
147 residents
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act76.9%
4,939 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act23.1%
1,486 residents
Fairwater South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension41.5%
1,209 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.6%
951 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions18.5%
540 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7%
204 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
9 households
Fairwater South · 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.

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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.