# West Kirkwall - 02

East Orkney Islands. 592 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 0.2 square kilometres.

West Kirkwall - 02 had 589 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022).

Neighbourhood. Code S01019103. In: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland) › [Orkney Islands](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands)

## Key figures

- **Population: 589** (2021). West Kirkwall - 02 had 589 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). Joint 4,437th least populated of 46,844. 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/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019103#f-population
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 40.7%** (January 2026). In West Kirkwall - 02, 40.7% 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/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019103#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 1.4%** (August 2026). In West Kirkwall - 02, 1.4% 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/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019103#f-claimant-rate
- **Aged 15 to 64: 62.9%** (2021). 62.9% of residents in West Kirkwall - 02 were aged 15 to 64 at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). Joint 22,014th lowest of 46,844. 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/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019103#f-age-15-to-64

## On the map

- [Gigabit coverage by neighbourhood](https://openindex.co.uk/map/gigabit-broadband?place=S01019103) (Connected Nations (Ofcom) · January 2026): In West Kirkwall - 02, 40.7% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=S01019103) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Orkney Islands. The outline is West Kirkwall - 02.
- [Crimes by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S01019103) (Recorded crimes and offences in Scotland · 2025/26): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Orkney Islands. The outline is West Kirkwall - 02.
- [Population by neighbourhood](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=S01019103) (Census 2021, England and Wales): West Kirkwall - 02 had 589 usual residents at the census.

Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020 is published for the 2011 Data Zones, whose boundaries differ from this neighbourhood’s, so it has no figure for West Kirkwall - 02. [See deprivation across Orkney Islands](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/deprivation)

## How West Kirkwall - 02 compares

Each neighbourhood against every other neighbourhood the measure covers.

| Measure | West Kirkwall - 02 | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 589 | 10th least populated | 32 neighbourhoods, Orkney Islands · 2021 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 40.7% | 11th highest | 32 neighbourhoods, Orkney Islands · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 1.4% | 11th lowest | 26 neighbourhoods, Orkney Islands · Aug 2026 |
| Aged 15 to 64 | 62.9% | joint 7th highest | 32 neighbourhoods, Orkney Islands · 2021 |

## What is the population of West Kirkwall - 02?

West Kirkwall - 02 had 589 usual residents at the census.
West Kirkwall - 02 is the joint 4,437th least populated of 46,844 in the UK.

## Figures for the whole of Orkney Islands

These figures are published for the whole of Orkney Islands, not for each neighbourhood, so they describe all of Orkney Islands and not West Kirkwall - 02 alone. [See Orkney Islands](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands)

- **Average house price: £216,479** (August 2026). Orkney Islands’ average house price was £216,479 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Down 1.2% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £43,430** (2025). Full-time workers living in Orkney Islands earned a median of £43,430 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 79th highest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 5.0×** (2025). A home in Orkney Islands costs 5.0 times local full-time pay. Joint 43rd most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Population estimate: 21,920** (2025). Orkney Islands’ population was an estimated 21,920 in mid-2025 (ONS population estimates). Down 0.4% in a year. Source: Mid-year population estimates, 2025. Published 1 October 2026.

## West Kirkwall - 02 in brief

West Kirkwall - 02 had 589 usual residents at the census.
In West Kirkwall - 02, 40.7% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In West Kirkwall - 02, 1.4% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.
62.9% of residents in West Kirkwall - 02 were aged 15 to 64 at the census.

## About

- Type: Neighbourhood
- Code: S01019103
- Middle area: [West Kirkwall](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/west-kirkwall)
- Ward: [Kirkwall East †](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/ward/kirkwall-east)
- Postcode district: [KW15 †](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/kw15)
- Postcode area: [KW †](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/kw)
- Constituency: [Orkney and Shetland †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/orkney-and-shetland)
- Council: [Orkney Islands](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands)
- Nation: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland)
- Area: 0.22 km²
- People, mid-2024: 592
- Output areas: 5

† Best fit: the ward, postcode district, postcode area and constituency this neighbourhood mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow theirs.

## Next door

[East Mainland - 05](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019100), [West Kirkwall - 01](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019102), [East Kirkwall - 01](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019108), [East Kirkwall - 02](https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019109)

## Latest updates for West Kirkwall - 02

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.
- GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S01019103

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019103, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019103#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 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/orkney-islands/neighbourhood/s01019103