Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000354

Hackney Downs

Hackney Downs is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,610 residents in Hackney. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Hackney
9,610

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,989

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

12,111.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

25.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

62.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

50.9%

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.

Queens Road Peckham, Southwark10,925 residents · 29.5% owned · 58.9% no carNewington Green, Islington8,542 residents · 23.1% owned · 65.8% no carCentral Lewisham South, Lewisham9,142 residents · 29.9% owned · 60.2% no carShepherd's Bush North, Hammersmith and Fulham7,485 residents · 22.0% owned · 66.2% no carAskew, Hammersmith and Fulham7,795 residents · 28.2% owned · 58.6% no carNorth End, Hammersmith and Fulham7,582 residents · 19.5% owned · 66.0% no car

Most similar within Hackney

The closest matches in the same local authority.

South Hackney, Hackney8,328 residents · 23.0% owned · 58.8% no carHaggerston East, Hackney9,922 residents · 18.8% owned · 65.8% no carAmhurst Road & Pembury Estate, Hackney11,512 residents · 17.8% owned · 67.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Hackney Downs

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

Tenure

Social rented44.5%
1,777 households
Private rented27.8%
1,109 households
Owned25.7%
1,026 households
Shared ownership1.7%
68 households
Lives rent free0.2%
9 households
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement53.7%
2,141 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits26.2%
1,046 households
Terraced11.9%
473 households
Semi-detached3.6%
145 households
Detached1.9%
77 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.8%
72 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.8%
30 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
5 households
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household62.4%
2,490 households
1 car or van in household31.7%
1,264 households
2 cars or vans in household5%
198 households
3 or more cars or vans in household0.9%
37 households
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom34.7%
1,383 households
2 bedrooms31.6%
1,262 households
3 bedrooms22%
879 households
4 or more bedrooms11.7%
465 households
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household48.1%
1,918 households
One-person household35.9%
1,434 households
Other household types16%
638 households
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household35.9%
1,434 households
2 people in household28%
1,116 households
3 people in household15.7%
628 households
4 people in household10.2%
408 households
5 people in household4.8%
192 households
6 people in household3.3%
132 households
8 or more people in household1.1%
44 households
7 people in household0.9%
35 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.5%
1,494 residents
15–2925.1%
2,414 residents
30–4429.5%
2,838 residents
45–6421.7%
2,081 residents
65 and over8.1%
782 residents
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White44.9%
4,316 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African26.5%
2,542 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh13.8%
1,324 residents
Other ethnic group7.6%
730 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups7.3%
697 residents
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above50.9%
4,074 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications16.6%
1,326 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications11.7%
935 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications8.5%
681 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7%
557 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
217 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.7%
215 residents aged 16 and over
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)64.9%
5,189 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive32.8%
2,626 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.3%
186 residents aged 16 and over
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.1%
1,772 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.7%
1,181 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed13.2%
1,060 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.1%
812 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.5%
762 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students9.5%
759 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8.3%
667 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.3%
665 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.1%
329 residents aged 16 and over
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health53.5%
5,141 residents
Good health29.8%
2,864 residents
Fair health10.7%
1,029 residents
Bad health4.1%
397 residents
Very bad health1.9%
178 residents
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act84.1%
8,080 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act15.9%
1,529 residents
Hackney Downs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension40.8%
1,628 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.7%
1,304 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions18.9%
754 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.8%
272 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.8%
32 households
Hackney Downs · 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 Hackney

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.