Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000224

Purley North

Purley North is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,053 residents in Croydon. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Croydon
8,053

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,271

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

6,288

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

58.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

28.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

46.8%

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.

Anerley South, Bromley7,232 residents · 62.9% owned · 32.3% no carPenge East, Bromley8,426 residents · 59.0% owned · 36.3% no carSouth Woodford High Road, Redbridge12,393 residents · 57.6% owned · 28.5% no carBromley North & Sundridge, Bromley11,751 residents · 53.5% owned · 33.2% no carGrove Park & Lee South, Lewisham8,527 residents · 58.5% owned · 30.7% no carLee, Lewisham6,861 residents · 60.5% owned · 32.5% no car

Most similar within Croydon

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Croham, Croydon8,350 residents · 58.5% owned · 30.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Purley North

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

Tenure

Owned58%
1,897 households
Private rented31.1%
1,016 households
Social rented9.2%
301 households
Shared ownership1.5%
49 households
Lives rent free0.2%
8 households
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached28.1%
920 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement24.2%
790 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits21.5%
703 households
Terraced17.3%
567 households
Detached6.5%
213 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.9%
62 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.5%
16 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household50%
1,636 households
No cars or vans in household28.7%
940 households
2 cars or vans in household16.6%
544 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.6%
151 households
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms35.4%
1,158 households
3 bedrooms26.6%
871 households
4 or more bedrooms19.8%
647 households
1 bedroom18.2%
595 households
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household62.8%
2,054 households
One-person household28.7%
940 households
Other household types8.5%
278 households
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household30.7%
1,004 households
1 person in household28.7%
940 households
3 people in household19%
621 households
4 people in household14.4%
471 households
5 people in household4.8%
158 households
6 people in household1.6%
51 households
7 people in household0.6%
18 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
8 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.5%
1,568 residents
15–2918.6%
1,495 residents
30–4426.6%
2,138 residents
45–6424%
1,933 residents
65 and over11.4%
918 residents
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White57.2%
4,604 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African16.4%
1,319 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh14.6%
1,178 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups8.7%
701 residents
Other ethnic group3.1%
253 residents
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above46.8%
2,997 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.7%
1,005 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.1%
778 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications11.6%
746 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.1%
517 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.2%
202 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.5%
161 residents aged 16 and over
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)70%
4,484 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive27.8%
1,777 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
141 residents aged 16 and over
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.9%
1,593 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations17.9%
1,144 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.8%
822 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.1%
713 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8.1%
517 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students7.1%
452 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.9%
444 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations6.9%
439 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.4%
280 residents aged 16 and over
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health53%
4,272 residents
Good health34.2%
2,758 residents
Fair health9.7%
782 residents
Bad health2.3%
183 residents
Very bad health0.7%
58 residents
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act88.4%
7,115 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act11.6%
938 residents
Purley North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension54.4%
1,780 households
Household is deprived in one dimension31%
1,014 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.8%
385 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.4%
79 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
13 households
Purley North · 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.