Current Housing Stock

Key Messages

There are around 252,000 dwellings in Somerset, including empty and second homes
At the time of the 2011 Census there were 226,989 household spaces with at least one usual resident and 12,848 people living in a communal establishment
At September 2016, 3,112 dwellings were classed as second homes. 6% of West Somerset's total dwellings are classed as second homes, the tenth highest proportion of any local authority in England
70% of homes are owner-occupied, above the national average (64%)
The largest increase in tenure since the 2001 Census was in the private rental sector
The most common number of bedrooms in a home is three.
Overall, two-person households are the most common household size (38% of the total), followed by one person households. Looking only at rented accommodation, one person households are the most common (37% of the total).
Somerset has more detached dwellings than any other type but the largest increase since 2001 has been in flats and apartments
Private rented housing tends to have the youngest Household Reference Person (or ' head of household') of any tenure type

Total Housing Stock

According to the Council Tax Base, at September 2016 there were 252,200 dwellings in Somerset. However, this included 5,545 homes classified as empty. The 2011 Census estimated there were 226,989 household spaces with at least one usual resident and a further 12,976 with no usual resident (including second homes).

The total number of household spaces in Somerset rose by 10% in the decade since the previous Census in 2001. The total number of households in Somerset is projected to increase further to 249,000 by 2021 (source: ONS).

At the time of the 2011 Census, there were in addition 12,848 people usually resident in a communal establishment, typically a care home, residential school or armed forces base.

For details of the following topics, please go to the tabs below:-

Housing Tenure
Housing Type
Housing Size
Council Tax Bands
Communal Establishments

Key messages from the Census

More homes are owned outright than by any other tenure type
West Somerset has the highest proportion of homes owned outright, probably linked to the relatively elderly population
Taunton Deane and West Somerset have the highest proportions of rented homes
Yeovil East ward has the highest proportion of dwellings in the Social rent category (30.9% of all homes) in Somerset
One in three homes in Bridgwater Eastover ward are privately rented, the highest proportion in Somerset
Almost half the homes in Brympton ward (South Somerset) are owned with a mortgage or loan, the highest proportion in Somerset
37.5% of single-person households live in rented accommodation
Social rented accommodation is more likely than average to be occupied by single people or groups of at least 5 people
44% of Household Reference Persons (HRP, 'heads of household') aged 16-34 live in private rented accommodation, compared with 16% of all HRPs in Somerset

Household spaces are broken down by tenure by District below, by number and as % of homes in each area.

Number	Mendip	Sedgemoor	South Somerset	Taunton Deane	West Somerset	TOTAL
Owned Outright	17,387	18,320	26,718	16,329	7,024	85,778
Owned - Mortgage	15,051	16,482	22,137	15,064	3,397	72,131
Shared Ownership	349	273	542	251	72	1,487
Social Rented	5,473	5,951	9,697	7,321	2,288	30,730
Private Rented	7,136	7,113	9,272	7,227	2,510	33,258
Live rent-free	761	662	1,135	715	332	3,605
TOTAL	46,157	48,801	69,501	46,907	15,623	226,989

Source: 2011 Census (Table KS402EW)

%	Mendip	Sedgemoor	South Somerset	Taunton Deane	West Somerset	TOTAL
Owned Outright	37.7	37.5	38.4	34.8	45.0	37.8
Owned - Mortgage	32.6	33.8	31.9	32.1	21.7	31.8
Shared Ownership	0.8	0.6	0.8	0.5	0.5	0.7
Social Rented	11.9	12.2	14.0	15.6	14.6	13.5
Private Rented	15.5	14.6	13.3	15.4	16.1	14.7
Live rent-free	1.6	1.4	1.6	1.5	2.1	1.6
TOTAL	100	100	100	100	100	100

Source: 2011 Census (Table KS402EW)

To see the figures on the following charts, hover the cursor over the appropriate column.

Key messages from Government Dwelling Stock statistics

At 1st April 2013 there were an estimated 243,810 dwellings in Somerset, including empty homes
About one in seven are in the social housing category
More than 8,000 dwellings have been added to the total stock between 2009 and 2013
The proportion owned by Private Registered Providers has risen slightly in the past four years to 10%

Dwelling stock is broken down by tenure by District below (Provisional figures at 1st April 2013):-

Number	Mendip	Sedgemoor	South Somerset	Taunton Deane	West Somerset	TOTAL
Local authority-owned	17,387	18,320	26,718	16,329	7,024	85,778
Private Registered Provider-owned*	15,051	16,482	22,137	15,064	3,397	72,131
Other Public Sector-owned	349	273	542	251	72	1,487
Private sector	5,473	5,951	9,697	7,321	2,288	30,730
TOTAL	46,157	48,801	69,501	46,907	15,623	226,989

Trends in the tenure profile for Somerset are shown below (2013 figures are provisional):

% dwelling stock by year	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Local authority-owned	4.4	4.3	4.2	4.2	4.1
Private Registered Provider-owned*	9.4	9.5	9.6	9.8	10.0
Other Public Sector-owned	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2
Private sector	85.9	85.9	85.9	85.7	85.7
TOTAL	100	100	100	100	100

* formerly known as RSLs or Housing Associations

Source: DCLG/HCA

Key messages from the Census

Almost one in three dwellings (32%) in Somerset are detached, slightly more than are semi-detached (30%)
Since 2001, there has been a larger increase in the number of flats or bedsits than in any other type of dwelling.
West Somerset has a relatively high proporrtion of detached dwellings, up to 74% in Brendon Hills ward
Street West ward has the highest proportion of semi-detached dwellings (62%)
Almost half the dwellings in Minehead North ward are flats, apartments or maisonettes
More than one in nine dwellings in Dunster and Timberscombe ward are caravans or other mobile or temporary homes

Dwellings are broken down by type by District below, by number and as % of dwellings in each area:-

Number in each area	Mendip	Sedgemoor	South Somerset	Taunton Deane	West Somerset	TOTAL
Detached	15,242	16,777	24,593	14,469	6,354	77,435
Semi-detached	15,287	15,758	22,543	14,083	5,179	72,850
Terraced	11,988	11,532	17,662	12,377	3,216	56,775
Flats/Maisonettes/ Apartments	5,995	6,459	7,980	7,974	2,664	31,072
Caravans/Mobile homes	207	395	632	418	181	1,833
TOTAL	48,675	50,879	73,375	49,220	17,571	239,720

% of dwellings in each area	Mendip	Sedgemoor	South Somerset	Taunton Deane	West Somerset	TOTAL
Detached	31.3	33.0	33.5	29.4	36.2	32.3
Semi-detached	31.4	31.0	30.7	28.6	29.5	30.4
Terraced	24.6	22.7	24.1	25.1	18.3	23.7
Flats/Maisonettes/ Apartments	12.3	12.7	10.9	16.2	15.2	13.0
Caravans/Mobile homes	0.4	0.8	0.9	0.8	1.0	0.8
TOTAL	100	100	100	100	100	100

Source: 2011 Census (Table KS401EW)

Key messages from the Census

The most common number of bedrooms in a home is three (42% of all households).
Glastonbury St Benedict's and Bridgwater Westover wards have the highest proportion of one-bedroom homes in Somerset (26% and 25%, respectively)
Almost half (47%) of homes in Wedmore and Mark ward have four or more bedrooms, the highest proportion of any ward in the county
However, the proportion of owner occupied households with three or more bedrooms (76%) is nearly double that of renting households (40%), suggesting that people are more likely to purchase homes with three or more bedrooms than rent such homes.
Overall, two-person households are the most common household size (38% of the total), followed by one person households (30%).
Wells Central ward has the highest proportion of single-person households (48%) while Postlebury (Mendip) and Bridgwater Hamp have the highest proportions of households with at least five residents (10%)
In rented accommodation, one-person households are the most common (at 37%).
Among owner occupied households containing one person, the great majority (92%) live in homes with two or more bedrooms. This compares with 52% of one person households in rented homes.

The housing stock for each District is broken down by number of bedrooms in the following table

Number of bedrooms	Mendip	Sedgemoor	South Somerset	Taunton Deane	West Somerset	TOTAL
One	4,386	4,134	6,004	4,771	1,339	20,634
Two	11,311	12,569	17,888	12,233	4,546	58,547
Three	19,054	20,360	30,027	19,117	6,491	95,049
Four	8,358	9,003	11,883	8,241	2,238	39,723
Five or more	3,048	2,735	3,699	2,545	1,009	13,036
TOTAL	46,157	48,801	69,501	46,907	15,623	226,989

Source: 2011 Census (Table DC4405EW)

To see the figures on the following charts, hover the cursor over the appropriate column.

Key messages from the Council Tax Base Valuation List

In October 2016, there were 252,226 dwellings on the Council Tax Base Valuation List in Somerset
The most common Council Tax band is Band B, with 68,350 dwellings (27% of the total)
Sedgemoor is the only Local Authority within Somerset to have more Band A properties than Band B properties
West Somerset has the highest proportion of dwellings in Band D or higher (41%)

The number of Valuation List dwellings in each District are broken down by Council Tax Band as follows:-

Band	Mendip	Sedgemoor	South Somerset	Taunton Deane	West Somerset	Total
A	7,038	13,049	10,362	7,446	2,879	40,774
B	13,266	12,373	22,536	16,190	3,985	68,350
C	12,343	11,658	16,213	10,491	3,844	54,549
D	7,568	7,912	10,992	7,453	3,416	37,341
E	5,667	5,101	9,305	6,055	1,863	27,991
F	3,186	2,626	4,743	3,528	1,290	15,373
G	1,847	1,387	1,853	1,577	679	7,343
H	129	60	167	100	49	505
Total	51,044	54,166	76,171	52,840	18,005	252,226

Source: Council Taxbase statistics, DCLG

In June 2016, the Office for National Statistics published annual breakdowns of dwellings by Council Tax band at various lower statistical geographies. The Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in Somerset with the highest proportions of dwellings in each Band in 2016 are shown in the following tables.

Band A	LSOA Code	Number	% total in LSOA
Bridgwater Sydenham Central	E01029106	570	90
Bridgwater Hamp West	E01029099	420	79
Bridgwater Parkway South	E01029107	510	78

Band B	LSOA Code	Number	% total in LSOA
Taunton Roman Road	E01029293	570	89
Yeovil Pen Mill East	E01029238	530	80
Taunton Priorswood South	E01029298	450	70

Band C	LSOA Code	Number	% total in LSOA
Yeovil Buckler's Mead	E01029254	340	58
Bridgwater Durleigh	E01029103	350	56
Street South West	E01029076	510	55

Band D	LSOA Code	Number	% total in LSOA
Minehead West	E01029331	350	45
Taunton Parkfield	E01029302	320	42
Taunton Blackbrook North	E01029294	300	40

Band E	LSOA Code	Number	% total in LSOA
Yeovil Sampson's Wood	E01029244	230	35
Yeovil Houndstone North	E01029160	320	35
Creech St Michael E /Creech Heathfield	E01029274	260	33

Band F	LSOA Code	Number	% total in LSOA
Wedmore South	E01029147	190	27
Henton, Bleadney, Westbury, Wookey	E01029052	210	23
Neroche (Taunton Deane)	E01029270	220	22

Band G	LSOA Code	Number	% total in LSOA
Kingston St Mary	E01029278	130	22
Axe Vale	E01029086	180	20
Wedmore South	E01029147	120	17

Note: Dwelling numbers are rounded to the nearest ten.

The 2011 Census identified people who were at 27th March 2011 usually resident in a communal establishment such as a hospital, care home, residential school or armed forces base.

Key messages from the Census

At the time of the 2011 Census, there were 811 communal establishments in Somerset, housing 12,848 usual residents. This represents 2.4% of the county population, above the England average of 1.8%,
The electoral wards with the highest number of communal establishments are Minehead Central (34), Burnham North (27) and Porlock and District (19).
West Somerset has the 17^th highest proportion of its population in communal establishments out of 326 lower tier or unitary authorities in England.
1,724 residents of communal establishments are staff, owners or their families
The electoral wards with the highest number of communal establishment residents are Ivelchester (incorporating RNAS Yeovilton), Minehead Central (incorporating Butlin’s), Street South (incorporating Millfield School) and Norton Fitzwarren (incorporating Norton Manor Camp, the base of 40 Commando)
45% of Somerset’s communal establishment residents are in places such as hospitals and care homes (5,685 people).
Taunton Deane has the 9th highest proportion of its population in Medical & Care establishments out of all 326 lower-tier or Unitaries in England. Most of its 1,615 in such establishments live in care homes with nursing
The wards with the highest number of residents in Medical and Care establishments are Burnham North (Sedgemoor), Bishops Hull (Taunton Deane) and Yeovil West (South Somerset)

While most residents of 'Other' communal establishments tend to be clustered at the site of schools and the two armed forces bases, the relative concentrations of medical or care establishment residents are illustrated on the following ward map:-

Map of medical or care establishment residents

To see the geographical breakdown at Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) level for all communal establishment and medical/care establishment residents, please go to INFORM Somerset.

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Did you know?

In 2015 the population of Somerset was estimated to be 545,400, about 15,500 more than at the 2011 Census. This is a rise of nearly 3% - Population projections & estimates