Spatial distribution of housing stock in the Greater West of England, 2025

28 Jul 2026

This data insight describes the composition and spatial distribution of dwelling stock in the Greater West of England, defined here as Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire.

It examines how dwelling stock varies by tenure; the financial arrangement and ownership structure under which someone has the right to live in a house or apartment. It explores differences in dwelling stock density across the region and compares the Greater West of England with two national benchmarks, England and England excluding London.

The indicators are derived from official dwelling stock statistics using administrative data collected and published annually to provide a consistent representation of housing stock by tenure type and geography. These indicators help contextualise the scale, structure and intensity of housing provision across the Greater West of England relative to national patterns.

12.8%

Local authority housing in Bristol, more than double the national average (6.1%)

269,078

Gloucestershire has the highest number of private sector dwellings

26,898

Bristol has the highest number of local authority dwellings

19.10

Bristol has the highest dwellings density per hectare, more than 9 times the England average

Dwelling stock by tenure (%), Greater West of England local authorities, national comparisons, 2025

This visualisation shows the percentage distribution of dwelling stock in the Greater West of England in 2025. The data are analysed by tenure. Tenure refers to the financial arrangement and ownership structure under which someone has the right to live in a house or apartment. Data for England and England excluding London is also included for context.

The private sector dominates dwelling stock, accounting for 85.7% in the Greater West of England, 83.4% in England and 84.2% in England excluding London.

Across the Greater West of England local authorities, the private sector share is highest in North Somerset (90.0%) and South Gloucestershire (88.2%), and lowest in Bristol (80.5%).

The local authority housing share varies from 0–0.1% in Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, to 12.8% in Bristol and 10.0% in Swindon. The Greater West of England has a lower local authority housing share (4.4%) than England overall (6.1%), but a similar proportion of private registered provider stock.

Private registered providers account for 13.9% in Bath and North East Somerset, compared to 10.3–10.5% nationally.

Dwelling stock, Greater West of England local authority area by tenure, 2025

This visualisation shows the distribution of housing stock by tenure across the Greater West of England in 2025.

In all local authority areas, the private sector holds the largest share of dwelling stock, ranging from 74,306 dwellings in Bath and North East Somerset, to 269,078 dwellings in Gloucestershire, which has the largest overall dwelling stock.

Bristol stands out for its high local authority housing stock (26,898 dwellings), exceeding other areas where local authority stock is typically below 10,500 dwellings.

Private registered provider stock is most prominent in Gloucestershire (31,408 dwellings) and Wiltshire (26,982 dwellings), indicating a stronger housing association presence in these areas.

Other public sector accounts for a very small proportion of dwelling stock in all areas, with values of 500 dwellings or fewer in every area shown.

Dwelling stock density, Greater West of England local authorities, national comparisons, 2025

This visualisation shows how the density of dwelling stock varies across the Greater West of England, measured as dwellings per hectare. National benchmarks are given for context.

England has 1.98 dwellings per hectare, falling to 1.71 when London is excluded, while the Greater West of England has a density of 1.58 dwellings per hectare.

Within the Greater West of England, Bristol stands out with a density of 19.10 dwellings per hectare, far exceeding all other areas shown. By contrast, Wiltshire (0.72) and Gloucestershire (1.17) have densities below the national average.

Swindon (4.50), North Somerset (2.77), South Gloucestershire (2.60) and Bath and North East Somerset (2.49) also exceed national benchmarks while remaining significantly less dense than Bristol.

Across Gloucestershire lower district areas, Cheltenham (12.41) and Gloucester (14.76) have the highest densities, while Cotswold (0.40) and Forest of Dean (0.79) are the least dense.