West Dorset
| West Dorset District | |
|---|---|
| Non-metropolitan district | |
 West Dorset shown within Dorset |
|
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | South West England |
| Non-metropolitan county | Dorset |
| Status | Non-metropolitan district |
| Admin HQ | Dorchester |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
| • Body | West Dorset District Council |
| • Leadership | Leader & Cabinet (Conservative) |
| • MPs | Oliver Letwin |
| Area | |
| • Total | 417.6 sq mi (1,081.5 km2) |
| Area rank | 24th (of 326) |
| Population (mid-2015 est.) | |
| • Total | 100,700 |
| • Rank | 233rd (of 326) |
| • Density | 240/sq mi (93/km2) |
| • Ethnicity | 98.7% White |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC0) |
| • Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) |
| ONS code | 19UH (ONS) E07000052 (GSS) |
| OS grid reference | SY5785299047 |
| Website | www |
Coordinates: 50°47′20″N 2°35′53″W / 50.7889°N 2.5980°W
West Dorset is a local government district and parliamentary constituency in Dorset, England. Its council is based in Dorchester. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the boroughs of Bridport, Dorchester and Lyme Regis, along with Sherborne urban district, and the rural districts of Beaminster, Bridport, Dorchester and Sherborne. In 2006 the district was named 10th best place to live in the UK.
In the Census 2001 West Dorset registered a population of 92,350, estimated to be 94,000 as of 2004[update]. The population structure reflects the rural nature of the district. 52% of the population are female. The area is a popular retirement area which also exports young people due the low choice of career options. This is reflected in the age structure, with 12.3% of the population over 75, compared to 7.5% in England; 51.7% are between 15 and 59, compared to 59.1% in England. 34.4% of dwellings are pensioner households, compared to 23.8% in England.
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