Penistone west ward profile

11,322 people live in the Penistone West ward, or 4.9% of Barnsley’s total population. 65.2% of residents are of working age, more than the borough average of 64.1% and the national average of 62.5%. 16.8% are of pensionable age, which is in line with the regional average but slightly below the borough and national averages.

Over 98% of the population is white, and 97.4% were born in the UK. 67.7% of residents have a religion, almost 2% fewer than the borough average but only slightly fewer than the national average.

The vast majority are Christian, with the remaining mainstream religions making up less than 1% of the total. Only 0.3% of households contain nobody whose main language is English, less than one quarter the borough average and a fraction of the national average of 4.4%.

Household information

54.7% of adult residents are married, 7% more than the borough average and over 8% more than the national average. Only 26.8% of adults are single, compared to a borough average of 31.5% and a national average of 34.6%. 14.8% of single parent householders are men, significantly more than the borough average of 11.6% and over 5% more than the national average.

76% of homes in Penistone West are privately owned, over 11% more than the borough and regional averages. 13.3% of households live in social rented accommodation, compared to a national average of 17.7% and a borough average of 20.9%. Only 8.9% of households rent from private landlords, almost half the national average and just under 4% fewer than the borough average. Almost 99% of homes are centrally heated and 33.5% have access to 2 or more cars or vans, almost 10% more than the borough and national averages.

Health

81.7% of the population feel their health is ‘very good’ or ‘good’, which is in line with the national average but 6.5% more than the borough average. Only 4.9% describe their health as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’, compared to a national average of 5.4% and a borough average of 8.4%. 8.1% of residents provide unpaid care for between 1 and 19 hours each week, about 1.5% more than the borough and national averages. 2.3% provide unpaid care for 50 hours or more every week, which is in line with the national average but 1% below the borough average.

Education and work

22.7% of the population has no educational qualifications, almost 10% fewer than the borough average and only very slightly more than the national average. 29.5% of residents are educated to degree level or above, compared to a national average of 27.4% and a borough average of only 17.4%. 73% of the population is economically active and only 1.2% are long term unemployed, 0.5% fewer than the national average and almost 1% fewer than the borough average.

8.5% of residents are employed in professional occupations, slightly more than the national average and almost double the borough average. On the other hand only 25.3% work in routine or semi-routine jobs, 10% fewer than the borough average. Wholesale and retail trades employ the most people at 14.7%, followed by manufacturing at 13.8% and education at 13.3%.