Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000218

Shirley East

Shirley East is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,671 residents in Croydon. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Croydon
6,671

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,351

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,862

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

58.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

26.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.7%

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.

Forster Park & Southend, Lewisham8,932 residents · 44.0% owned · 36.4% no carHeathfield, Richmond upon Thames11,087 residents · 62.7% owned · 21.1% no carHornchurch Marshes, Havering10,640 residents · 59.5% owned · 23.9% no carYew Tree & Tamebridge, Sandwell8,052 residents · 55.8% owned · 21.1% no carGoddington, Bromley7,788 residents · 70.1% owned · 20.0% no carSundon Park, Luton6,798 residents · 67.4% owned · 16.9% no car

Most similar within Croydon

The closest matches in the same local authority.

New Addington Central, Croydon7,499 residents · 52.0% owned · 26.6% no carWaddon South, Croydon10,857 residents · 45.1% owned · 31.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Shirley East

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

Tenure

Owned58.2%
1,368 households
Social rented32.3%
759 households
Private rented8.8%
208 households
Lives rent free0.4%
10 households
Shared ownership0.3%
6 households
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached44.4%
1,044 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement33%
776 households
Terraced11.4%
267 households
Detached9.2%
217 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.2%
28 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.7%
16 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0%
1 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household39.9%
939 households
No cars or vans in household26.7%
628 households
2 cars or vans in household23.9%
562 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9.4%
222 households
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms51.9%
1,220 households
2 bedrooms26.5%
623 households
4 or more bedrooms17.7%
415 households
1 bedroom3.9%
91 households
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household71.6%
1,684 households
One-person household19.4%
457 households
Other household types9%
211 households
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household29.7%
698 households
3 people in household19.7%
464 households
1 person in household19.4%
457 households
4 people in household17.1%
402 households
5 people in household8.8%
208 households
6 people in household3.7%
87 households
7 people in household1.1%
25 households
8 or more people in household0.4%
10 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1521.5%
1,436 residents
15–2919.5%
1,303 residents
30–4417%
1,134 residents
45–6426.6%
1,775 residents
65 and over15.3%
1,021 residents
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White50%
3,336 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African26.7%
1,779 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh12.2%
813 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups7.5%
499 residents
Other ethnic group3.7%
244 residents
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.7%
1,728 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications17%
871 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16%
820 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.9%
817 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.6%
544 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.3%
219 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.5%
129 residents aged 16 and over
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)57.4%
2,944 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive40.1%
2,056 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.5%
128 residents aged 16 and over
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.2%
1,036 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.4%
685 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.9%
612 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.4%
583 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed10.4%
532 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students10.3%
526 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.1%
518 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.4%
429 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4%
206 residents aged 16 and over
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health51.7%
3,448 residents
Good health32.8%
2,185 residents
Fair health11.3%
752 residents
Bad health3.3%
218 residents
Very bad health1%
68 residents
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.8%
5,724 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.2%
945 residents
Shirley East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension45.5%
1,069 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.6%
789 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions16.2%
380 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.4%
104 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
7 households
Shirley East · 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 Croydon

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.