Second addresses used as holiday homes (Census 2021)
Census 2021 data on second addresses, used (for at least 30 days a year) as holiday homes.
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In this page
Introduction
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published Census 2021 data on the number and location of second addresses (ONS), including those used as holiday homes. This statistical bulletin summarises the main points for Wales from the ONS publication.
There is no common or standard definition of a ‘second home’. Different definitions are used within datasets (eg Census 2021, Council Tax data, Land Transaction Tax data), as each is collected for a specific purpose. The related statistical article Second homes: What does the data tell us? provides further information about sources of data on second homes, including the strengths and limitations of each.
Census 2021 collected information on people who usually resided in England and Wales who said they stayed at least 30 days a year at a second address. Information about the location and purpose of the second address were collected - examples include address when working away from home, armed forces address, another parent or guardian’s address and holiday home. Further detail on the Census questions are included in the quality and methodology section.
To supplement the ONS publication, this report focuses on second addresses used as holiday homes from Census 2021. The Census did not capture all properties used as ‘holiday homes’ or short term lets. If someone owned a second address but never stayed there, or it was not occupied by the same person for 30 days a year or more, it was not captured. The census asked where people lived or stayed, but did not ask about ownership of second addresses.
Main points
Nearly 100,000 second addresses were being used in Wales at the time of Census 2021. Of those, nearly 40,000 were another parent or guardian’s address, 24,000 were students’ home address and 10,070 were holiday homes. Other examples of second addresses included address when working away from home, armed forces address and partner’s address.
All data in the remainder of this report relate to ‘holiday homes’ as defined in Census 2021 - second addresses used as holiday homes for at least 30 days a year by people usually resident in England or Wales.
Holiday homes
- In March 2021, 10,070 second addresses were being used as holiday homes in Wales.
- Concentrations of holiday homes were highest along coastal areas in Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey and Pembrokeshire.
- There were around 6.9 holiday homes per 1,000 dwellings in Wales, which is higher than for every region in England apart from the South West (7.5 per 1,000 dwellings).
- Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey were amongst the four local authorities with the highest rates of holiday homes across England and Wales.
Holiday home users
- 36,370 people reported using a second address as a holiday home in Wales, equivalent to 11.7 holiday home users for every 1,000 usual residents.
- The rate of holiday home users in Wales, relative to the usual resident population, was higher than for each region in England.
- At a local authority level, Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey had the highest rate of holiday home users, relative to the population, out of all local authorities in England and Wales (79.0 and 63.3 users per 1,000 usual residents respectively).
- Of the 36,370 people who were usually resident in England and Wales and reported using a second address as a holiday home in Wales, 26,940 were from England.
- Around two-thirds (3,545) of those that used holiday homes in Pembrokeshire were from Wales, predominantly south Wales.
Holiday homes
The number of second addresses used as holiday homes in Wales equated to around 6.9 per 1,000 dwellings. This rate was higher than for every region in England apart from the South West (7.5 per 1,000 homes).
At a local authority level, the rate was highest in Gwynedd (41.0 second address holiday homes per 1,000 dwellings) and the Isle of Anglesey (32.9 per 1,000). Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey were amongst the four local authorities with the highest rates across England and Wales.
Figure 1 is a map showing second addresses used as a holiday home expressed as a rate per 1,000 dwellings, for areas known as Middle layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs). MSOAs comprise of between 2,000 and 6,000 households.
The rate was highest in Abersoch and Aberdaron in Gwynedd, with 153.3 second addresses being used as holiday homes per 1,000 dwellings. The rate was higher than 50, in 13 MSOAs in Wales. These were along coastal areas in Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey and Pembrokeshire.
Figure 1: Second addresses used as a holiday home (rate per 1,000 dwellings), MSOA, Wales, Census 2021
Description of Figure 1: A map showing second addresses used as a holiday home expressed as a rate per 1,000 dwellings, at MSOA level. The map is described in the commentary.
Source: Census 2021, Holiday homes in England and Wales (ONS)
Data are also available for smaller areas knows as Lower Layer Super Output Areas (ONS) (LSOAs), which comprise of between 400 and 1,200 households. There were 11 LSOAs where more than 1 in 10 dwellings were used as a holiday home (under the Census 2021 definition). These were all in Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey and Pembrokeshire. Of the 100 LSOAs in England and Wales with the highest proportions, 21 were in Wales – one of these was in Swansea.
Figure 2: Second addresses used as a holiday home (rate per 1,000 dwellings), lower layer super output area, Wales, Census 2021
Description of Figure 2: A map showing second addresses used as a holiday home expressed as a rate per 1,000 dwellings, for LSOAs. The map is described in the commentary.
Source: Census 2021, Holiday homes in England and Wales (ONS)
Data are also available for electoral wards and shown in the map below.
Figure 3: Second addresses used as a holiday home (rate per 1,000 dwellings), electoral ward, Wales, Census 2021
Description of Figure 3: A map showing second addresses used as a holiday home expressed as a rate per 1,000 dwellings, for electoral wards.
Source: Census 2021, Holiday homes in England and Wales (ONS)
Holiday home users
At the time of Census 2021, 36,370 people who were usually resident in England and Wales reported using a second address as a holiday home in Wales for at least 30 days a year. This was equivalent to 11.7 holiday home users per 1,000 usual residents in Wales, and was higher than the rate for every region in England.
At a local authority level, Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey had the highest rate of holiday home users, relative to the local population, out of all local authorities in England and Wales (79.0 and 63.3 users per 1,000 usual residents respectively). The Isle of Anglesey saw the largest increase in the rate across all local authorities in England and Wales – up from 41.5 per 1,000 in 2011.
Location of usual residence
Of the 36,370 people who were usually resident in England and Wales and reported using a second address as a holiday home in Wales, 26,940 were from England.
Of those using a second address as a holiday home in Wales, around a third (32.3%) were from North West England and slightly less than a quarter (22.8%) were from the West Midlands. Over a quarter of holiday home users in Wales were from Wales (25.9%). This varied across local authorities:
- The majority of people using a second address as a holiday home in Gwynedd came from England’s North West (43.3%) or the West Midlands (32.1%).
- Around two-thirds (3,545) of those that used holiday homes in Pembrokeshire were from Wales, predominantly south Wales.
Holiday home users from Wales
Of the 17,520 usual residents of Wales that used a second address as a holiday home, 53.8% (9,430) used a holiday home within Wales, 34.0% (5,965) used a holiday home outside of the UK with the remaining 12.1% (2,125) using a holiday home in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Cardiff had the highest number of usual residents who used a holiday home (2,330) while the highest proportions of usual residents who used a holiday home were seen in the Vale of Glamorgan, Monmouthshire and Rhondda Cynon Taf (all at 0.8%).
The most popular holiday home location for residents of Wales was Pembrokeshire.
Holiday homes: accommodation type
In Wales, 44.8% of second addresses reported as being used for holiday homes were detached properties.
Three-bedroom homes were the most common type of holiday home, accounting for 37.9% of holiday homes followed closely by two-bedroom homes (at 36.5%).
Further information
Further data on second addresses (all categories not only holiday homes), and second address users are available on the ONS website.
Additional information on people with a second address is available in: Housing in Wales (Census 2021).
Quality and methodology information
For full quality and methodology information, please visit the ONS’ quality and methodology information report. Read more about the specific quality considerations for Housing (Office for National Statistics).
Further information on our quality assurance processes is provided in the Maximising the quality of Census 2021 population estimates methodology (Office for National Statistics).
In addition to reporting their main address, Census 2021 also asked respondents to report whether they stayed at another address for at least 30 days a year. If they answered yes, they were asked for its address (if within the UK) and the purpose of the second address, with the following options:
- armed forces base address
- another address when working away from home
- student’s home address
- student’s term-time address
- another parent or guardian’s address
- partner’s address
- holiday home
- other
The data included in this report only include people who usually reside in England and Wales who said they stayed at least 30 days a year at the second address.
People that are not usual residents in England and Wales may have a second address in England and Wales but would not be captured in this data.
Some second addresses may not be used by any usual residents in England and Wales for at least 30 days a year, and these would not be captured in these data.
For Census 2021, a usual resident of the UK is anyone who, on Census Day, was in the UK and had stayed or intended to stay in the UK for a period of 12 months or more, or had a permanent UK address and was outside the UK and intended to be outside the UK for less than 12 months.
Data on number of bedrooms and accommodation type of the second address is taken from Valuation Office Agency (VOA) Property Attributes data, or Census 2021 data if available. It is not possible to get this information for all dwellings we have listed as second addresses.
Glossary
A dwelling is a self-contained unit of accommodation that may be empty or being lived in, for example houses or flats. They are usually made up of one household, but those with more than one household are shared and called a “shared dwelling”. If a dwelling has no usual residents living in them, for example they are empty after being sold, these are called “unoccupied dwellings”, but may be used by short-term residents or visitors on Census Day, 21 March 2021, for example holiday homes.
For a full glossary of terms, please see the ONS’ Census 2021 dictionary.
National Statistics status
The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.
National Statistics status means that official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality, and public value.
All official statistics should comply with all aspects of the Code of Practice for Statistics. They are awarded National Statistics status following an assessment by the UK Statistics Authority’s regulatory arm. The Authority considers whether the statistics meet the highest standards of Code compliance, including the value they add to public decisions and debate.
It is Welsh Government’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected of National Statistics. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with the Authority promptly. National Statistics status can be removed at any point when the highest standards are not maintained, and reinstated when standards are restored.
The designation of these statistics as National Statistics was confirmed to the ONS in June 2022 following a full assessment against the Code of Practice by the Office for Statistics Regulation.
Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFG)
The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 is about improving the social, economic, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of Wales. The Act puts in place seven wellbeing goals for Wales. These are for a more equal, prosperous, resilient, healthier, and globally responsible Wales, with cohesive communities and a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language. Under section (10)(1) of the Act, the Welsh Ministers must (a) publish indicators (“national indicators”) that must be applied for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the wellbeing goals, and (b) lay a copy of the national indicators before Senedd Cymru. Under section 10(8) of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, where the Welsh Ministers revise the national indicators, they must as soon as reasonably practicable (a) publish the indicators as revised and (b) lay a copy of them before the Senedd. These national indicators were laid before the Senedd in 2021. The indicators laid on 14 December 2021 replace the set laid on 16 March 2016.
Information on the indicators, along with narratives for each of the wellbeing goals and associated technical information is available in the Wellbeing of Wales report.
Further information on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The statistics included in this release could also provide supporting narrative to the national indicators and be used by public services boards in relation to their local wellbeing assessments and local wellbeing plans.
