Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000085

Blackfen

Blackfen is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,961 residents in Bexley. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Bexley
7,961

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,070

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,903.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

82.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

16.2%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

25.4%

Adults with a degree or above

ONS Census 2021 · qualifications

Neighbourhoods most like this one

Closest matches elsewhere in England and Wales, across 14 Census themes. Similarity is statistical, not a recommendation, and says nothing about how anywhere feels to live in.

Upminster Bridge, Havering8,476 residents · 75.4% owned · 18.8% no carHylands, Havering8,492 residents · 81.9% owned · 15.6% no carRomford North, Havering9,472 residents · 78.8% owned · 16.3% no carAshford West, Spelthorne11,430 residents · 72.8% owned · 13.2% no carArdleigh Green, Havering10,493 residents · 77.2% owned · 15.2% no carAshford East, Spelthorne9,310 residents · 75.0% owned · 14.5% no car

Most similar within Bexley

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Barnehurst North, Bexley7,933 residents · 83.6% owned · 15.6% no carLamorbey, Bexley7,178 residents · 86.6% owned · 12.6% no carAlbany Park, Bexley7,750 residents · 86.8% owned · 13.2% no carWelling, Bexley10,065 residents · 76.4% owned · 20.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Blackfen

People, households and homes at the stated Census geography. These describe the 2021 population, not the occupants of a particular home.

Tenure

Owned82.4%
2,529 households
Private rented13%
399 households
Social rented4%
123 households
Shared ownership0.6%
18 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced44.9%
1,378 households
Semi-detached40.1%
1,232 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement8.4%
258 households
Detached2.7%
83 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.4%
74 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.4%
42 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.6%
1,401 households
2 cars or vans in household27.9%
857 households
No cars or vans in household16.2%
498 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10.4%
319 households
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms39.4%
1,211 households
2 bedrooms32.5%
1,000 households
4 or more bedrooms23.7%
728 households
1 bedroom4.4%
134 households
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household68.5%
2,104 households
One-person household24.3%
745 households
Other household types7.2%
221 households
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household30.9%
948 households
1 person in household24.3%
745 households
4 people in household18.5%
568 households
3 people in household17.9%
550 households
5 people in household6.4%
197 households
6 people in household1.4%
44 households
7 people in household0.5%
15 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.7%
1,488 residents
15–2917.6%
1,403 residents
30–4420.7%
1,652 residents
45–6425.3%
2,017 residents
65 and over17.6%
1,403 residents
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White83.7%
6,664 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh7.7%
612 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.3%
345 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.5%
203 residents
Other ethnic group1.8%
140 residents
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above25.4%
1,618 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19%
1,214 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.3%
1,167 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications17.4%
1,110 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.3%
722 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.8%
370 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.8%
180 residents aged 16 and over
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)64.5%
4,113 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive34.1%
2,175 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.4%
91 residents aged 16 and over
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.1%
1,282 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations17.7%
1,131 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers12.3%
787 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations12%
763 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.7%
686 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9%
577 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.6%
421 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.1%
389 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.4%
346 residents aged 16 and over
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health51.7%
4,113 residents
Good health34.1%
2,714 residents
Fair health10.6%
847 residents
Bad health2.9%
229 residents
Very bad health0.7%
58 residents
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act87.2%
6,943 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act12.8%
1,018 residents
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension50.5%
1,553 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.6%
1,064 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions12.6%
386 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.2%
69 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
1 households
Blackfen · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Each percentage uses its Census table’s own total. Rounding and source categories can affect totals. ONS Census data · OGL v3.0.

How the similarity is worked out

Alike on the Census, which is not the same as alike to live in.

Every neighbourhood is described by its shares across the Census themes above — tenure, housing, cars, household make-up, age, ethnic group, qualifications, work, health and deprivation — each theme weighted equally, which is the approach ONS takes in its own Output Area Classification. The neighbourhoods listed are the closest on those numbers, published in full rather than folded into a score. Nothing here measures schools, crime, prices or what a place is like to be in, and a close match is a statistical fact rather than a suggestion to move.

Browse every neighbourhood in Bexley

Evidence ledger

Source and date are part of the record.

Shared catalogue checked 2026-08-28: 88 candidate data layers listed. Catalogue presence is not publication approval; only separately approved public projections may be shown.