Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000230

Purley Central

Purley Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,502 residents in Croydon. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Croydon
10,502

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,231

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,016.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

65.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

25.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

49.4%

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.

Oakleigh Park, Barnet8,331 residents · 66.3% owned · 21.4% no carHigh Barnet & Hadley, Barnet10,841 residents · 67.6% owned · 24.3% no carChingford Green East, Waltham Forest9,328 residents · 69.4% owned · 23.6% no carRedhill West, Reigate and Banstead10,919 residents · 57.1% owned · 23.9% no carWoodford Wells, Redbridge11,159 residents · 74.0% owned · 17.2% no carNew Barnet West, Barnet6,533 residents · 64.0% owned · 22.7% no car

Most similar within Croydon

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Coulsdon, Croydon9,452 residents · 63.1% owned · 21.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Purley Central

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

Tenure

Owned65.6%
2,775 households
Private rented22.1%
937 households
Social rented9.8%
413 households
Shared ownership2.4%
100 households
Lives rent free0.1%
6 households
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement34.8%
1,471 households
Detached29.4%
1,243 households
Semi-detached20.5%
869 households
Terraced8.5%
358 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits4.5%
189 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.9%
79 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%
18 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household46.3%
1,958 households
No cars or vans in household25.9%
1,095 households
2 cars or vans in household20.8%
878 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.1%
300 households
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

4 or more bedrooms33.3%
1,408 households
2 bedrooms26.1%
1,106 households
3 bedrooms24.1%
1,018 households
1 bedroom16.5%
699 households
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household63%
2,668 households
One-person household28.8%
1,217 households
Other household types8.2%
348 households
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household32.6%
1,380 households
1 person in household28.7%
1,215 households
3 people in household17.2%
726 households
4 people in household14.7%
621 households
5 people in household4.5%
191 households
6 people in household1.6%
67 households
7 people in household0.4%
18 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
13 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.4%
1,832 residents
15–2915.4%
1,618 residents
30–4423.2%
2,440 residents
45–6425.8%
2,707 residents
65 and over18.1%
1,906 residents
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White58.3%
6,125 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh19.5%
2,047 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African12.2%
1,285 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups7.2%
759 residents
Other ethnic group2.7%
288 residents
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above49.4%
4,235 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications13.8%
1,186 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications12.3%
1,056 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications11.8%
1,008 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.1%
609 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.2%
274 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
205 residents aged 16 and over
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)61.2%
5,244 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive37.2%
3,188 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.6%
141 residents aged 16 and over
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.3%
2,081 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.6%
1,939 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.8%
1,010 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.8%
923 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.9%
761 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations7.3%
622 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6%
518 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5%
425 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.4%
295 residents aged 16 and over
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health52.3%
5,490 residents
Good health32.9%
3,458 residents
Fair health10.5%
1,102 residents
Bad health3.3%
342 residents
Very bad health1%
109 residents
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.3%
8,958 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.7%
1,544 residents
Purley Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension57%
2,414 households
Household is deprived in one dimension29.5%
1,249 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.3%
479 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.9%
82 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
8 households
Purley Central · 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.