Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000864

Bow North & Fish Island

Bow North & Fish Island is a Census neighbourhood of about 11,263 residents in Tower Hamlets. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Tower Hamlets
11,263

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,664

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

8,921.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

28.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

63.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

48.5%

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.

South Bermondsey Central, Southwark9,610 residents · 23.4% owned · 62.3% no carCanning Town South & Bow Creek, Newham13,097 residents · 20.9% owned · 63.1% no carBermondsey East, Southwark11,896 residents · 21.2% owned · 67.4% no carSilwood & Pepys, Lewisham12,606 residents · 23.2% owned · 63.1% no carCanada Water, Southwark10,223 residents · 18.3% owned · 67.1% no carIslington North & Canonbury West, Islington9,939 residents · 25.4% owned · 65.6% no car

Most similar within Tower Hamlets

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Bromley-by-Bow West, Tower Hamlets13,571 residents · 19.8% owned · 65.8% no carColumbia Road, Tower Hamlets5,931 residents · 24.8% owned · 65.9% no carMudchute, Tower Hamlets7,412 residents · 28.4% owned · 55.8% no carShadwell Basin & Ratcliffe, Tower Hamlets8,620 residents · 27.2% owned · 62.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Bow North & Fish Island

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

Tenure

Social rented43.5%
2,030 households
Owned28.3%
1,318 households
Private rented23.7%
1,107 households
Shared ownership4.4%
204 households
Lives rent free0.1%
5 households
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement78%
3,639 households
Terraced11.8%
549 households
Semi-detached2.9%
133 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.3%
106 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.9%
89 households
Detached1.6%
76 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.4%
67 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
4 households
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household63.8%
2,977 households
1 car or van in household31%
1,446 households
2 cars or vans in household4.3%
201 households
3 or more cars or vans in household0.9%
40 households
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms42.1%
1,963 households
1 bedroom29.3%
1,365 households
3 bedrooms21.6%
1,006 households
4 or more bedrooms7.1%
330 households
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household53%
2,473 households
One-person household32.7%
1,526 households
Other household types14.2%
664 households
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household32.7%
1,526 households
2 people in household31.7%
1,479 households
3 people in household15.3%
716 households
4 people in household9.5%
442 households
5 people in household6.2%
290 households
6 people in household2.7%
124 households
7 people in household1.1%
51 households
8 or more people in household0.8%
37 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.5%
1,973 residents
15–2924.9%
2,804 residents
30–4432.9%
3,706 residents
45–6417.5%
1,969 residents
65 and over7.2%
812 residents
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White50%
5,634 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh31.2%
3,510 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African9.5%
1,073 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups6.3%
708 residents
Other ethnic group3%
339 residents
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above48.5%
4,456 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications17.8%
1,631 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications13.5%
1,240 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications8.7%
801 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications6.6%
608 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.8%
254 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.1%
191 residents aged 16 and over
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)65.1%
5,981 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive31.8%
2,918 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3.1%
282 residents aged 16 and over
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.1%
2,030 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.8%
1,729 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed13%
1,196 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students9.7%
892 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.6%
785 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.3%
760 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8.1%
744 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.8%
719 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.6%
326 residents aged 16 and over
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health51.7%
5,823 residents
Good health31.5%
3,543 residents
Fair health10.9%
1,232 residents
Bad health4.3%
479 residents
Very bad health1.7%
186 residents
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act84.8%
9,545 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act15.2%
1,716 residents
Bow North & Fish Island · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension47%
2,192 households
Household is deprived in one dimension28.4%
1,323 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.5%
816 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.6%
307 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.6%
26 households
Bow North & Fish Island · 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 Tower Hamlets

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.