Rockingham ward profile

11,062 people live in Rockingham, or 4.8% of Barnsley’s total population. 61.9% of the population is of working age, slightly fewer than the national average but significantly fewer than the borough average of 64.1%. On the other hand 20.8% of residents are of pensionable age, over 3% more than the borough and national averages.

98.5% of the population is white, and almost 98% were born in the UK. Just over 70% of residents have a religion, slightly more than the borough and national averages.

The vast majority are Christian, with the remaining mainstream religions making up only 0.6% of the total. Only 0.4% of households contain nobody whose main language is English, which is well below the borough average of 1.3% and the national average of 4.4%.

Household information

30% of Rockingham’s adult residents are single, compared to a borough average of 31.5% and a national average of 34.6%. Just under half are married, which is slightly more than the borough and national averages. Widowed people and surviving partners from civil partnerships account for 8.7% of the population, almost 1% more than the borough average and nearly 2% more than the national average. 12.5% of single parent householders are men, compared to a borough average of 11.6% and a national average of only 9.7%.

Just under two thirds of homes in Rockingham are privately owned, slightly more than the borough and national averages. 22% of households live in social rented accommodation, only 1% more than the borough average but over 4% more than the national average. On the other hand only 9.8% of households live in private rented accommodation, compared to a borough average of 12.8% and a national average of 16.8%. Over 99% of homes are centrally heated but just over one quarter do not have access to a car or van, although this is slightly less than the national and borough averages.

Health

74.8% of the population describe their health as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, which is slightly fewer than the borough average but almost 7% fewer than the national average. On the other hand 8.7% feel their health is ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’, compared to a borough average of 8.4% and a national average of 5.4%. 7.6% of residents provide unpaid care for between 1 and 19 hours each week, about 1% more than the borough and national averages. 3.4% provide unpaid care for 50 hours or more every week, which is in line with the borough average but 1% higher than the national average.

Education and work

Just under 32% of Rockingham residents have no educational qualifications, slightly fewer than the borough average but almost 10% more than the national average. 16% are educated to degree level or above, compared to a borough average of 17.4% and a national average of 27.4%. 67% of the population are economically active, which is in line with national and borough averages, and long term unemployment is slightly below the borough average though slightly higher than the national average. Wholesale and retail trades employ the most workers at 17.5%, followed by human health and social work activities at 13.3%.