# Machars South

South west Dumfries and Galloway. 4,849 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 301 square kilometres.

Machars South had 4,849 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022).

Middle area. Code S02002813. In: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland) › [Dumfries and Galloway](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway)

## Key figures

- **Population: 4,849** (2021). Machars South had 4,849 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). 1,877th least populated of 9,448. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/machars-south#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 60%** (2022). About 60% of people in Machars South live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/machars-south#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 34.0%** (January 2026). In Machars South, 34.0% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/machars-south#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 3.0%** (August 2026). In Machars South, 3.0% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026 (ONS via Nomis). UK 3.9%. Source: Claimant count (Nomis), August 2026. Published 15 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/machars-south#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=S02002813) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 60% of people in Machars South live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=S02002813) (UK House Price Index · July 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Dumfries and Galloway. The outline is Machars South.
- [Crimes by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S02002813) (Recorded crimes and offences in Scotland · 2025/26): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Dumfries and Galloway. The outline is Machars South.
- [Population by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=S02002813) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Machars South had 4,849 usual residents at the census.

## Recorded crime in Machars South


Scotland publishes recorded crime by council. It has its own layers.

## How Machars South compares

Each middle area against every other middle area the measure covers.

| Measure | Machars South | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 4,849 | 6th most populated | 40 middle areas, Dumfries and Galloway · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 60% | 13th most people in radon Affected Areas | 40 middle areas, Dumfries and Galloway · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 34.0% | 4th lowest | 40 middle areas, Dumfries and Galloway · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 3.0% | 12th highest | 40 middle areas, Dumfries and Galloway · Aug 2026 |

## What is the population of Machars South?

Machars South had 4,849 usual residents at the census.
Machars South is the 1,877th least populated of 9,448 in the UK.

## Figures for the whole of Dumfries and Galloway

These figures are published for the whole of Dumfries and Galloway, not for each middle area, so they describe all of Dumfries and Galloway and not Machars South alone. [See Dumfries and Galloway](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway)

- **Average house price: £169,511** (July 2026). Dumfries and Galloway’s average house price was £169,511 in July 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 4.6% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, July 2026. Published 16 September 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £34,895** (2025). Full-time workers living in Dumfries and Galloway earned a median of £34,895 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 59th lowest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 4.9×** (2025). A home in Dumfries and Galloway costs 4.9 times local full-time pay. Joint 39th most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 16 September 2026.
- **Population estimate: 145,490** (2025). Dumfries and Galloway’s population was an estimated 145,490 in mid-2025 (ONS population estimates). Down 0.3% in a year. Source: Mid-year population estimates, 2025. Published 1 October 2026.

## Machars South in brief

Machars South had 4,849 usual residents at the census.
About 60% of people in Machars South live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In Machars South, 34.0% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In Machars South, 3.0% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Middle area
- Code: S02002813
- Ward: [Mid Galloway and Wigtown West †](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/ward/mid-galloway-and-wigtown-west)
- Constituency: [Dumfries and Galloway †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/dumfries-and-galloway)
- Council: [Dumfries and Galloway](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway)
- Nation: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland)
- Area: 301 km²
- People, mid-2024: 4,849*
- Neighbourhoods: 7
- Output areas: 48

* People: worked out by Open Index by adding up the neighbourhood estimates inside this area.
† Best fit: the ward and constituency this middle area mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow theirs.

## Next door

[Machars North](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/machars-north), [Newton Stewart](https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/newton-stewart)

## Latest updates for Machars South

- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.
- GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Department for Education · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Department for Education · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S02002813

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/machars-south, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/machars-south#f-population.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.8, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23508850. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/dumfries-and-galloway/machars-south