Scottish Household Survey: Bulletin No 3

3 Households in neighbourhoods

Introduction

This section uses Scottish MOSAIC to examine the characteristics of households living in different types of area. In particular, it examines household composition and type, economic status, income and household possession of financial and consumer goods.

Household Type

Table 1 shows the breakdown of household types within each MOSAIC area. This shows a substantial variation in the proportion of households of each type in the different MOSAIC categories.

For example, although single parent families make up 6% of households in all areas, they account for 2% in the 'high' and 'middle income' areas, 9% in 'disadvantaged council estate' areas and 15% of 'families in council flat' areas. Similarly, 16% of households overall are single adults but they make up only 9% in 'high income' areas and, conversely, 36% in 'singles and flats' areas.

The sex of the highest income householder (see definition in Section 8) varies by MOSAIC area. In 'high income', 'middle income' and 'country dweller' areas, over 70% of households have a male highest income householder. Only households in 'families in council flat' areas have a higher proportion of female than male highest income householders. However, within 'disadvantaged council estates', 'renting singles' and 'singles and flats' areas, the proportion of male and female highest income householders is much more evenly divided (no table).

Access to motor vehicles and consumer durables

Table 2 shows the disparity in access to motor vehicles by MOSAIC type. While only 10% of households in 'high income' areas do not have access to a motor vehicle, this proportion rises to 73% of households in 'families in council flat' areas. A high percentage of households in 'renting singles' and 'disadvantaged council estate' areas also do not have access to motor vehicles (68% and 49% respectively) while 44% of those living in 'high income' areas have access to two or more vehicles. Perhaps unsurprisingly, access to vehicles is also very high among households in 'country dweller' areas with 87% of households in these areas having access to a vehicle (compared with 64% of all households).

Possession of consumer durables and internet access is shown in Table 3. Again, variation can be seen between households living in different MOSAIC areas. In all areas, 28% of households have all four of the consumer durables that are included in the survey. In 'high income' areas, this increases to 49%, which is the highest of all the area types. Among households in 'families in council flats' areas, only 12% have all four durables. The greatest variation occurs in relation to possession of a computer. Of all households, 30% have a computer but only 12% of households in 'families in council estate' flat and 17% of those in 'renting singles' areas do. At the other extreme, 50% of households in 'high income' areas currently have a computer.

Across all areas, 12% of households have access to the internet from home. Within 'high income' areas this increases to 22% while in 'families in council flats' areas it is just 4%.

Income

Table 4 shows the percentage of households in each income band by MOSAIC type. It clearly demonstrates the higher proportion of lower income households in 'disadvantaged council estates', 'families in council flats' and 'renting singles' areas. In all these areas over 50% of households have a net household income (see section 8 for definition) of £10,000 per annum or less, rising to two-thirds of 'families in council flats' areas. Even in 'high income areas', over 40% of households have an income below £15,000 per annum.

Variation in income is also reflected in the incidence of money worries and whether households have any savings and investments. Although 12% of all households say they worry about money 'almost all the time', only 6% of those living in 'high income' areas fall into this category, while 23% of households living in 'families in council estate' areas do so (no table).

Overall, 54% of households report having some savings or investments, varying between 78% of those in 'high income' areas and 24% households in 'families in council estate' areas. However, variations in terms of having savings and money worries are perhaps more associated with income, household type and working status rather than MOSAIC area type.

Note: Sample size reduced because of refusals and insufficient data on income questions.