Dobcross
Dobcross, in Oldham. What stands out most here is Households renting — 22.3%, far lower than the England figure of 37.6%, measured across this MSOA (about 7,200 people).
Median age: 50 — this MSOA (about 7,200 people), higher than the England figure of 40.
Degree-level qualified: 41.0% — this MSOA (about 7,200 people), higher than the England figure of 33.9%.
Deprivation decile (1 = England's most deprived tenth): 6 — this neighbourhood (LSOA, about 1,500 people), in the fifth least deprived tenth of England. 1 = the most deprived tenth of England, 10 = the least. It describes the neighbourhood, never the people in it.
One-person households: 29.8% — this MSOA (about 7,200 people), about the same as the England figure of 30.1%.
We could not show these: crime. They either did not answer or are not published for this area — a gap in our data, not a finding about this place.
Rankings and orderings on this page are ours; every figure belongs to the publisher named beside it.
Is Dobcross a nice place to live?
That depends on what you need from a place, so we don't give Dobcross a score. These are the official figures people usually weigh, for the neighbourhood around its centre, compared with England wherever the comparison is fair.
Is Dobcross safe?
On the government's crime measure (the Indices of Deprivation 2025), the neighbourhood at the centre of Dobcross is in decile 5 of 10 — around the middle of England for crime. Decile 1 is the tenth of neighbourhoods with the most crime, decile 10 the tenth with the least.
What does it cost to live in Dobcross?
Homes sold for a median of £392,500 over the last year (52 homes sold in Dobcross, HM Land Registry). That is the middle of what happened to sell, not a valuation. 22.3% of households rent, against 37.6% across England.
Is Dobcross good for families?
There are 23 open schools within 3 miles of the centre (20 primary, 3 secondary). The nearest is Holy Trinity CofE Dobcross Primary School, 0.2 miles away; each school's own Ofsted report is linked further down this page. On the government's education and skills measure, which counts the qualifications of children and adults who live there, the neighbourhood is in decile 9 of 10 — among the fifth of England's neighbourhoods with the most qualifications and skills. The median age is 50, against 40 for England.
Health and doctors in Dobcross
On the government's health measure, which counts early deaths, illness and disability, the neighbourhood is in decile 5 of 10 — around the middle of England for health. People in this neighbourhood are registered with 34 GP practices; most use Saddleworth Medical Practice (87%). The nearest acute hospital is Royal Oldham Hospital, 4.4 miles away in a straight line.
What is the neighbourhood like?
Overall, the neighbourhood is in decile 6 of 10 on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, where 1 is England's most deprived tenth and 10 the least. It describes the area, never the people in it. For living environment, which counts the condition of homes, air quality and road accidents, it is in decile 3 of 10 — a poorer living environment than the middle of England. The centre is not in a rivers-and-sea flood risk band (Environment Agency; surface water is a separate risk). Planning designations at the centre: Conservation area.
The figures describe the neighbourhood around the centre (OL3 5AA), not every street in Dobcross. For your own street, look up your postcode on the StreetOwl dashboard.
The figures
Figures are shown against their own scale, or against the England figure beside them. These are a reading aid, not a rating — StreetOwl does not score places.
| Measure | Here | England | What it covers, and who publishes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households renting | 22.3%far below England | 37.6% | this MSOA (about 7,200 people) Census 2021, ONS |
| Median age | 50above England | 40 | this MSOA (about 7,200 people) Census 2021, ONS |
| Degree-level qualified | 41.0%above England | 33.9% | this MSOA (about 7,200 people) Census 2021, ONS |
| Deprivation decile (1 = England's most deprived tenth) | 6in the fifth least deprived tenth of England | 5.5 | this neighbourhood (LSOA, about 1,500 people) Indices of Deprivation 2025, MHCLG 1 = the most deprived tenth of England, 10 = the least. It describes the neighbourhood, never the people in it. |
| One-person households | 29.8%about the England figure | 30.1% | this MSOA (about 7,200 people) Census 2021, ONS |
| Planning designations | Conservation area | — | the centre postcode planning.data.gov.uk these cover the centre point, not necessarily the whole area. |
| Rivers and sea flood risk | not in an at-risk band | — | the centre postcode Environment Agency NaFRA2 England only, indicative, by 50 m cell, rivers and sea only. It says nothing about surface water. |
| GP practices used by this neighbourhood | 34 | — | this neighbourhood (LSOA, about 1,500 people) NHS England, patients registered at a GP practice Most use Saddleworth Medical Practice (87%). Where neighbours are registered — not a catchment, and not a guarantee of a place. |
| Miles to the nearest acute hospital | 4.4 | — | straight-line distance from the centre NHS England, with NHS ODS site locations Royal Oldham Hospital, run by Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. Straight-line, not a journey time, and the nearest site is not always the one you would be taken to. |
| Major infrastructure projects nearby | 1 | — | centred within 9 miles of the centre Planning Inspectorate NSIP register Airports, power stations, reservoirs, major roads and the like. Each project is recorded at a single point, so one counted here may be centred some way off. |
| Planning applications nearby | 4 | — | within 600 m of the centre Council planning registers via PlanIt recently listed on the council's own register. A count of applications, not of approvals. |
| Median sold price, last 24 months | £392,500 | — | 52 homes sold in Dobcross HM Land Registry Price Paid Data Houses, flats and bungalows only — shops and land are excluded. A median of what happened to sell, which a year heavy on large houses will lift. Not a valuation. |
| Renewable energy schemes nearby | 1 | — | within 1.9 miles of the centre DESNZ Renewable Energy Planning Database 2.9 MW of it already operating. Wind, solar, hydro and battery schemes of roughly 150 kW and above. Counts schemes refused or withdrawn too, so it is what has been proposed here, not what is running. |
| Schools within 3 miles | 23 | — | within 3 miles of the centre DfE Get Information About Schools 20 primary, 3 secondary. Open schools only. Each school listed below links to its own Ofsted report; the Schools tile on the dashboard shows each school's latest inspection for a postcode. |
Schools nearest the centre
Ofsted stopped publishing an overall grade in the register we hold, so each school below links to its own Ofsted report page, where the current judgement is.
| School | Phase | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Trinity CofE Dobcross Primary School | Primary | 0.2 miles |
| Saddleworth School | Secondary | 0.6 miles |
| St Chad's Church of England Primary School | Primary | 0.7 miles |
| Delph Primary School | Primary | 1.0 miles |
| Diggle School | Primary | 1.2 miles |
| Greenfield Primary School | Primary | 1.3 miles |
| St Anne's CofE Lydgate Primary School | Primary | 1.6 miles |
| Greenfield St Mary's CofE School | Primary | 1.7 miles |
Who lives here
From the 2021 census, for this MSOA — about 7,200 residents, which is wider than a street and narrower than a town. These are the area’s own proportions beside England’s. StreetOwl does not rank or score them.
Ethnic group
Self-described, in the census's own categories.
| Group | Here | England |
|---|---|---|
| White | 97.1% | 81.0% |
| Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups | 1.6% | 3.0% |
| Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh | 0.9% | 9.6% |
| Other ethnic group | 0.3% | 2.2% |
| Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African | 0.1% | 4.2% |
Religion
The only voluntary question on the census — “not answered” is counted here as its own category, not removed from the total.
| Group | Here | England |
|---|---|---|
| Christian | 60.0% | 46.3% |
| No religion | 33.9% | 36.7% |
| Not answered | 4.5% | 6.0% |
| Muslim | 0.8% | 6.7% |
| Jewish | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Buddhist | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Other religion | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Hindu | 0.1% | 1.8% |
| Sikh | 0.0% | 0.9% |
Passports held
Passports held, which is not the same as nationality: “no passport” counts people entitled to one who do not hold a current one.
| Group | Here | England |
|---|---|---|
| Europe: United Kingdom | 89.5% | 76.6% |
| No passport held | 8.9% | 13.2% |
| Europe: Other Europe | 0.7% | 6.4% |
| Europe: Ireland | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Africa: South and Eastern Africa | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Middle East and Asia: Southern Asia | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| All other (combined) | 0.2% | 1.7% |
See it live
This page is a snapshot. StreetOwl’s dashboard shows the same data for any postcode, updated continuously — flood warnings, planning applications, sold prices, schools, air quality and the rest.
See live data for OL3 5AA →Live transport across Greater Manchester →Every figure on this page belongs to the publisher named beside it and is reproduced under the Open Government Licence where that licence applies. The ordering of the figures, and the choice of which to lead with, are ours.
Figures describe the geography stated against them — a neighbourhood, a council or a point — and not the whole of Dobcross. Built 2026-10-31.