Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000685

Sydenham Wells

Sydenham Wells is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,131 residents in Lewisham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Lewisham
8,131

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,422

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

8,407.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

41.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

45.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

48.3%

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.

Gipsy Hill, Lambeth7,665 residents · 37.4% owned · 47.9% no carWest Norwood South, Lambeth7,825 residents · 33.8% owned · 49.2% no carHornfair Park, Greenwich8,238 residents · 40.7% owned · 38.2% no carNunhead North, Southwark9,688 residents · 31.3% owned · 51.2% no carSouth Norwood Hill, Croydon9,049 residents · 50.6% owned · 44.2% no carWest Dulwich, Lambeth9,809 residents · 39.3% owned · 49.2% no car

Most similar within Lewisham

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Perry Vale, Lewisham8,134 residents · 48.0% owned · 44.0% no carLower Sydenham, Lewisham8,267 residents · 45.6% owned · 43.8% no carUpper Sydenham, Lewisham7,035 residents · 44.4% owned · 47.0% no carManor House, Lewisham8,155 residents · 48.1% owned · 45.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Sydenham Wells

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

Tenure

Owned41.4%
1,418 households
Social rented37.3%
1,277 households
Private rented20.3%
694 households
Shared ownership0.9%
30 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement47.9%
1,639 households
Terraced19.7%
674 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits17%
583 households
Semi-detached10%
342 households
Detached2.5%
86 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.6%
55 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1%
34 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.2%
7 households
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household45.5%
1,559 households
1 car or van in household43.3%
1,482 households
2 cars or vans in household9%
307 households
3 or more cars or vans in household2.2%
75 households
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms36.9%
1,264 households
3 bedrooms28.3%
970 households
1 bedroom21.3%
730 households
4 or more bedrooms13.4%
459 households
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household58.1%
1,987 households
One-person household32.7%
1,120 households
Other household types9.2%
314 households
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household32.7%
1,120 households
2 people in household30.1%
1,031 households
3 people in household17.6%
602 households
4 people in household12.4%
423 households
5 people in household4.6%
156 households
6 people in household1.7%
58 households
8 or more people in household0.6%
19 households
7 people in household0.4%
14 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.4%
1,581 residents
15–2917%
1,381 residents
30–4426.5%
2,154 residents
45–6424.8%
2,017 residents
65 and over12.3%
1,000 residents
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White54.6%
4,437 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African25.7%
2,092 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups8.8%
712 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh6.4%
518 residents
Other ethnic group4.6%
372 residents
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above48.3%
3,117 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications15%
969 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.7%
823 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications10.7%
690 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.8%
506 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.1%
199 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
154 residents aged 16 and over
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)65.3%
4,216 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive32.1%
2,071 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.6%
169 residents aged 16 and over
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.6%
1,523 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.6%
1,073 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.5%
677 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.6%
620 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.3%
600 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.2%
597 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed9.2%
597 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students8%
518 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.9%
255 residents aged 16 and over
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health53%
4,307 residents
Good health31.1%
2,526 residents
Fair health11%
898 residents
Bad health3.7%
303 residents
Very bad health1.2%
96 residents
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act84.2%
6,846 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act15.8%
1,284 residents
Sydenham Wells · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension45.7%
1,565 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32%
1,095 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.1%
584 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.5%
155 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.7%
24 households
Sydenham Wells · 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.