Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0

45.2Median age

Who lives here · ONS Census 2021 & mid-year estimates

Households in flats: 26%, a higher share than 92% of UK towns

The share of married adults and civil partners tops 83% of UK towns: 54%. On residents aged 15 to 24, Portishead sits lower than 84% of UK towns: 8.6%. This Somerset town had 26,351 residents in 11,505 households at the 2021 Census. Locally, 13% of households live in a terraced house.

+12%people since 2011 23%aged 65 or over 8.3%born abroad 11,505households

Population since 2011

Since 2011, Portishead has grown +12%, faster than 67% of UK towns

ONS mid-year estimates, each year indexed to mid-2011 = 100. Portishead’s figure is the small areas (2021 LSOAs) that make up the town.

People, mid-2011 = 100

PortisheadEnglandAll of Somerset

Change by age, 2011 to 2024

PortisheadEngland

0 to 15+4%

16 to 29+9%

30 to 44−8%

45 to 64+16%

65 and over+37%

About 24,600 people in 2011; 27,500 in 2024.

In one year, mid-2012 to mid-2013, the population rose by 640, the most of any year. Of the age groups, 65 and over changed most (+37%) and 30 to 44 least (−8%).

Ages

Portishead: 23% of residents are 65 or over, above 60% of UK towns

Share of residents in each five-year age band, Census 2021.

PortisheadEngland’s towns

0–410–1420–2430–3440–4450–5460–6470–7480–84

With a median age of 45.2, Portishead is older than 55% of UK towns. By way of comparison, 18% of residents are 65 or over across England’s towns. More residents are 45–49 than any other five-year age: 7.5% of residents. In South Petherton, the oldest of Somerset’s towns by this measure, it is 35%.

Median age of UK towns of 2,500+

2535455565

■ Portishead, 45.2. The typical town is 44.4.

Broad ages · share of residents

Under 1518%

15 to 248.6%

25 to 4423%

45 to 6427%

65 and over23%

PortisheadSomerset’s townsEngland’s towns

Women and men · all residents

52% women, 48% men

Portishead

England

WomenMen

About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.

Students & newcomers

Above 69% of UK towns: 9.7% of residents lived at another address a year earlier

What adults did at the 2021 Census (the ONS’s NS-SEC classes), and where residents lived a year earlier.

Adults by occupation class · residents 16 and over

Full-time students4.8%

Higher managerial and professional19%

Lower managerial and professional26%

Intermediate13%

Small employers and self-employed10%

Supervisory and technical4.6%

Semi-routine9.7%

Routine8.2%

Never worked or long-term unemployed4.2%

PortisheadSomerset’s townsEngland’s towns

Address a year before the Census

Residents who lived somewhere else a year earlier. The bar runs to 25%.

Portishead

10%

England’s towns

11%

Moved within the UKTerm-time addressMoved from abroad

Moved in within a year

2,534

residents, 9.7%; England’s towns 11%

Of them from abroad

133

0.5× England’s share

Managerial and professional jobs account for 46% of Portishead’s adults, routine and semi-routine work for 18%, against 33% and 24% across England’s towns. Across the comparison, 11% of residents lived at another address a year earlier across England’s towns. Locally, 4.8% of adults are full-time students.

Households

Smaller households than 52% of UK towns: 2.3 people on average

Household make-up at the 2021 Census. Each square is 1% of households.

Living alone, 66+ 16%Living alone, under 66 14%Families with dependent children 29%Couples and families, no young children 39%Shared houses and other 2.3%

Against Somerset’s towns and England’s towns

Portishead

Somerset’s towns

England’s towns

People per household

1 person30%

2 people36%

3 people15%

4 people15%

5 or more4.1%

England’s towns.

Households with dependent children are about as common here as across England’s towns: 29%. Locally, 30% of households are one person living alone.

Homes & cars

A smaller share of households without a car or van than 72% of UK towns: 12%

Accommodation type and cars or vans per household, Census 2021. Owning and renting are on Cost of living.

Type of home

Portishead

Somerset’s towns

England’s towns

DetachedSemi-detachedTerracedFlat or maisonetteCaravan or other

Cars or vans · share of households

No car or van12%

One42%

Two37%

Three or more10%

PortisheadSomerset’s townsEngland’s towns

The share of households in detached houses is 37%, against 21% across England’s towns. Across England’s towns, the share of households without a car or van is 24%.

Where people were born

A larger share of residents born outside the UK than 66% of UK towns: 8.3%

Country of birth, year of arrival and main language, Census 2021.

Born outside the UK, by region · share of all residents; the bar runs to 25%

Portishead

8.3%

Somerset’s towns

9.6%

England’s towns

18%

EU countriesRest of EuropeMiddle East and AsiaAfricaAmericas, Oceania, other

When those born abroad arrived

PortisheadEngland’s towns

Before 19711971–801981–901991–20002001–102011–132014–162017–192020–21

Main language · residents aged 3 and over

English is main language97%

Another main language, speaks English very well or well2.8%

Another main language, little or no English0.4%

PortisheadSomerset’s townsEngland’s towns

Among residents born abroad, the largest groups were born in EU countries (4%) and in the Middle East and Asia (1.5%). The comparison figure for residents born outside the UK is 18% across England’s towns. Compared with other places, residents whose main language is English are scarce here: 97%, fewer than in nearly two thirds of UK towns. Since 2017: a fifth of those born abroad, against 21% across England’s towns.

Ethnicity & religion

Portishead: 45% of residents said they have no religion, above 76% of UK towns

How residents described themselves at the 2021 Census. Lines join the lowest and highest of the three figures.

Ethnic groups other than White British · all residents

PortisheadSomerset’s townsEngland’s towns

Other White4.9%

Asian1.6%

Mixed1.9%

Black0.4%

Other0.6%

0%6%12%

White British, not charted: 91% of Portishead · Somerset’s towns 89% · England’s towns 73%.

Religion · all residents

PortisheadSomerset’s townsEngland’s towns

No religion45%

Christian47%

Muslim0.6%

Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist0.7%

Other religion0.5%

Didn’t answer5.8%

0%30%60%

Just over nine in ten residents describe themselves as White British, against 73% across England’s towns. Behind White British, the largest groups are Other White (4.9%), Mixed or multiple (1.9%) and Indian (0.4%). Residents who describe themselves as Christian are rarer here than in 65% of UK towns. Against that, 37% of residents said they have no religion across England’s towns.

Relationships & caring

Portishead ranks below 83% of UK towns on adults who have never married: 27%

Legal partnership status (residents 16 and over) and unpaid care (residents 5 and over), Census 2021.

Partnership status · residents 16 and over

Never married or in a civil partnership27%

Married or civil partnership54%

Separated2.1%

Divorced9.9%

Widowed7.1%

PortisheadSomerset’s townsEngland’s towns

2,028residents give unpaid care to someone with an illness, disability or old age: 8.1%, against 8.7% in England’s towns

Unpaid care given · share of residents 5 and over

Up to 19 hours a week4.8%

20 to 49 hours1.2%

50 hours or more2.1%

524 residents give 50 hours or more of unpaid care each week. The benchmark for adults who have never married across England’s towns: 39%. Fewer unpaid carers than in just over four fifths of UK towns: 8.1%.

Qualifications

A degree-level qualification for 41% of adults

Highest qualification, residents 16 and over, Census 2021.

Highest qualification · residents 16 and over

No qualifications12%

Apprenticeship5.3%

A levels or similar17%

Degree level41%

PortisheadSomerset’s townsEngland’s towns

With 41% of its adults qualified to degree level, Portishead compares with 34% across England’s towns; another 12% hold no qualification (18%).

Where in Portishead

From a median age of 38 in Long Ashton & Gordano to 52 in Portishead Redcliffe

The town’s 4 neighbourhoods (ONS middle-layer areas with 500+ residents inside it, named by the House of Commons Library), youngest first. Census 2021.

Median age 35 → 55 · line = all PortisheadAdults who are full-time students

Long Ashton & Gordano386.2%

Portishead South435.2%

Portishead Central464.5%

Portishead Redcliffe524.4%

Portishead Redcliffe is the oldest area, with 30% aged 65 or over; Long Ashton & Gordano the youngest (median age 38). Families with children are most common in Long Ashton & Gordano (50% of households).

Towns its size

76th highest median age among 266 UK towns of 18,000 to 36,000

Median age, Census 2021. Hover a dot for its students and residents born abroad; click for its page.

Portishead 45.2

EghamRustingtonAshington

304458

Ages run from 31.1 in Egham to 56.2 in Rustington. Nearest to Portishead in age: Retford (45), St Austell (45), Hazel Grove (45.3) and Market Harborough (45.3).

Neighbours

Portishead and its 7 nearest towns: 4 of them are older

Nearby built-up areas coloured by median age, Census 2021. Tap a town for its page.

AvonmouthPillNailseaClevedonBackwellLong AshtonYattonPortishead

under 3838–4444–5050–5656+

Town	People	Away	Median age	65+	Homes with children
Portishead	26,351	—	45.2	23%	29%
Avonmouth	2,643	3.5 mi	35.9	11%	29%
Pill	4,956	3.7 mi	46.5	24%	27%
Nailsea	15,919	3.7 mi	50.9	30%	24%
Clevedon	21,084	4.8 mi	48.3	27%	24%
Backwell	4,347	5 mi	46.7	24%	34%
Long Ashton	5,184	5.9 mi	42.6	19%	37%
Yatton	7,704	6.8 mi	44.8	22%	29%

More about Portishead’s residents

Health, work and homes have their own pages

Health ALife expectancy, early deaths and Census health, adjusted for age Work & commute AIncome, the claimant count, jobs and how people get to work Cost of living DOwners and renters, prices, rents and council tax Schools AEvery primary and secondary, with results and inspections

How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

“Somerset’s towns” and “England’s towns” mean their built-up areas. Census comparisons pool every built-up area in Somerset (or England), summed the same way as Portishead’s figures, so households in open countryside are left out. The population trend compares with the whole county and nation.
Estimates since 2021 are modelled. The ONS builds mid-year estimates from the Census, births, deaths and migration records. Portishead’s trend uses the small areas (2021 LSOAs) with most of their people inside it: 27,250 people in 2021, against 26,351 in the built-up area.
Small counts are blurred. The ONS adds small random changes to Census counts to protect privacy, so the same total differs a little between tables, and the shares of a small town can move by a point or two.

Questions about Portishead’s residents

What is the population of Portishead?

The 2021 Census counted 26,351 people in Portishead’s built-up area. The ONS estimates the same small areas held 27,500 people in mid-2024, 12% more than in 2011.

What is the average age in Portishead?

The median age was 45.2 at the 2021 Census, older than 55% of UK towns. 8.6% of residents were 15 to 24 and 23% were 65 or over.

How diverse is Portishead?

91% of residents described themselves as White British in 2021, against 73% across England’s towns and 89% across Somerset’s towns. 8.3% were born outside the UK.

What religion are people in Portishead?

45% said they had no religion and 47% that they were Christian at the 2021 Census; 0.6% were Muslim and 5.8% didn’t answer.

Is Portishead good for families?

29% of households had dependent children in 2021, against 29% across England’s towns. Families are most common in Long Ashton & Gordano (50% of households). Schools are on Portishead’s schools page.

Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area (TS002, TS003, TS004, TS007A, TS008, TS015, TS017, TS019, TS021, TS029, TS030, TS039, TS044, TS045, TS062, TS067) · ONS mid-year population estimates for 2021 LSOAs, mid-2011 to mid-2024 · House of Commons Library MSOA names. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.