Weymouth, Portland and Bridport are household income blackspots in Dorset, according to a new national report out today.

Wealth of the Nation, compiled by CACI Information Solutions, includes everything from investment income to social security to provide an estimate of income for every postcode in Dorset.

Its findings reveal that an area of 2,777 households around Dottery, north of Bridport, has the lowest mean income per household at £24,000, with 5,418 households in the Westham area of Weymouth sharing the same figure in second place compared with the national average household income of £31,000 for 2005.

An average mean income of £25,000 accounted for third, fourth and fifth place respectively including 3,185 households in West Dorset's Bradpole area, 2,580 households in Fortuneswell on Portland and 3,716 households in Weymouth Town Centre.

By contrast the wealthiest area included 2,821 households between Stourpaine and Pimperne near Blandford where the mean household income was £35,000.

Second came 3,245 households in the Winterborne Abbas area west of Dorchester, with an average household income of £34,000, while 2,311 households in an area east of Cerne Abbas near Plush had an average household income of £33,000.

In fourth and fifth place with an income of £32,000 came 1,535 homes north west of Maiden Newton and 1,945 households in the Bere Regis area.

The survey also showed that overall Dorset was significantly better off than some parts of the country such as Birkenhead, where 42 per cent of 865 households in one sector earned less than £10,000.

Among trends found by the survey was that people in poorer areas spend twice as much on tobacco as people in wealthier areas, yet people in wealthier areas of Dorset were 33 per cent more likely to have a personal loan, said the survey, 'because it is easier to borrow money if you already have it!'

Interests also varied between rich and poor areas, with wealthy areas keen on pastimes such as theatre, good wine and antiques, whereas bingo, angling and motoring were more popular in poorer areas.