Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000673

Forest Hill West

Forest Hill West is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,139 residents in Lewisham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Lewisham
8,139

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,494

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

7,676.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

52.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

42.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

64.0%

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.

Dulwich Hill, Southwark9,497 residents · 49.9% owned · 41.4% no carLeigham Vale & Royal Circus, Lambeth8,521 residents · 49.6% owned · 44.3% no carWest Dulwich, Lambeth9,809 residents · 39.3% owned · 49.2% no carPeckham Rye Common, Southwark9,388 residents · 45.5% owned · 45.1% no carChiswick North West, Ealing7,566 residents · 47.1% owned · 44.2% no carWest Norwood East, Lambeth9,533 residents · 42.7% owned · 47.7% no car

Most similar within Lewisham

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Honor Oak, Lewisham8,740 residents · 52.0% owned · 43.9% no carForest Hill East, Lewisham7,816 residents · 54.9% owned · 39.9% no carManor House, Lewisham8,155 residents · 48.1% owned · 45.6% no carLoampit & Hilly Fields, Lewisham6,796 residents · 50.8% owned · 47.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Forest Hill West

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

Tenure

Owned52.9%
1,850 households
Private rented28.7%
1,003 households
Social rented17.8%
622 households
Shared ownership0.4%
14 households
Lives rent free0.1%
5 households
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement36.5%
1,278 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits22.7%
793 households
Semi-detached17.8%
621 households
Terraced12%
420 households
Detached7.5%
261 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.3%
80 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.2%
42 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.9%
1,569 households
No cars or vans in household42.7%
1,492 households
2 cars or vans in household10.1%
352 households
3 or more cars or vans in household2.4%
83 households
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms33.2%
1,160 households
1 bedroom23.2%
811 households
3 bedrooms23%
805 households
4 or more bedrooms20.6%
720 households
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household60%
2,098 households
One-person household29.7%
1,037 households
Other household types10.3%
361 households
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household35.2%
1,232 households
1 person in household29.7%
1,037 households
3 people in household15.9%
556 households
4 people in household13.4%
468 households
5 people in household4.2%
147 households
6 people in household1.1%
37 households
7 people in household0.5%
17 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.5%
1,421 residents
15–2917.8%
1,449 residents
30–4429.4%
2,391 residents
45–6425.4%
2,070 residents
65 and over9.9%
807 residents
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White66.7%
5,428 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African15.9%
1,291 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups8.2%
670 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh6.1%
494 residents
Other ethnic group3.2%
259 residents
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above64%
4,242 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications10.9%
721 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications8.5%
563 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications7.9%
527 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications4.8%
316 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.3%
151 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications1.7%
110 residents aged 16 and over
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)73.7%
4,887 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive24.3%
1,608 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2%
135 residents aged 16 and over
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations30.1%
1,994 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.6%
1,562 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.6%
700 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.6%
572 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.4%
423 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations6.3%
416 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.6%
372 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.6%
369 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.3%
222 residents aged 16 and over
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health57.7%
4,693 residents
Good health30.9%
2,517 residents
Fair health8.6%
702 residents
Bad health2.2%
182 residents
Very bad health0.6%
45 residents
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act87.6%
7,126 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act12.4%
1,013 residents
Forest Hill West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension57.9%
2,025 households
Household is deprived in one dimension28.6%
1,002 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.9%
382 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.5%
89 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
2 households
Forest Hill West · 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 Lewisham

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.