Rurality

Somerset headlines from the 2011 Census:

• Around 48% of Somerset’s population is classified as ‘rural’ and 52% ‘urban’.
• Rural Somerset has an older population demographic, particularly in respect of people aged 45 and over. Linked to this, a higher proportion of rural residents provide unpaid care to friends or relatives.
• Nevertheless, rural residents are in better (self-reported) overall health than their urban counterparts.
• Residents in rural areas are, on average, more highly qualified, and more likely to work in ‘high-tech’ industries (ICT; professional, scientific and technical activities)
• People in rural areas are more likely to be self-employed and to work from home, and also more likely to work long hours (more than 49 hours per week).
• Unemployment is lower in rural Somerset, although due to the population demographic, unemployment in the key ‘50 and over’ age group is relatively high.
• Car ownership is high, although around 1 in 9 rural households do not have access to a car (or van).
• Residents in rural areas are much more likely to live in a detached house (and also be mortgage-free) than their urban counterparts.
• Rural households are more likely to have no central heating. They are also much more unlikely to have access to mains gas, with a greater dependency on oil.

Population Profile by Rural-Urban Classification (click to enlarge)

A comprehensive breakdown of 2011 Census results for Somerset, based on the ONS Rural-Urban Classification, can be downloaded below.

• Statistics by Rural-Urban Classification
  Comprehensive statistics for Somerset from the 2011 Census, based on Rural-Urban Classification (RUC)

Further resources

For additional information on the characterists of rural Somerset by means of Mosaic segmentation see our Profile of Rural Somerset with Mosaic page.