Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000878

Spitalfields

Spitalfields is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,433 residents in Tower Hamlets. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Tower Hamlets
10,433

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,012

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

16,342.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

20.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

75.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

53.7%

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.

Clerkenwell, Islington11,313 residents · 23.4% owned · 75.1% no carHatton Garden & Theobalds Road, Camden6,659 residents · 18.1% owned · 76.3% no carLambeth North, Waterloo & South Bank, Lambeth8,567 residents · 20.7% owned · 73.2% no carLondon Bridge & Bermondsey West, Southwark10,788 residents · 19.6% owned · 69.6% no carHolloway Nag's Head, Islington7,354 residents · 28.9% owned · 68.7% no carPentonville, Islington7,833 residents · 24.8% owned · 72.7% no car

Most similar within Tower Hamlets

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Aldgate, Tower Hamlets12,769 residents · 15.8% owned · 78.8% no carBethnal Green South, Tower Hamlets7,274 residents · 21.0% owned · 71.3% no carBrick Lane North, Tower Hamlets8,145 residents · 19.2% owned · 72.7% no carBethnal Green North West, Tower Hamlets7,196 residents · 25.8% owned · 68.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Spitalfields

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

Tenure

Private rented47.5%
1,907 households
Social rented29.9%
1,201 households
Owned20.7%
831 households
Shared ownership1.6%
63 households
Lives rent free0.2%
10 households
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement72.6%
2,910 households
Terraced8.9%
356 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse7.7%
307 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop5%
199 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.7%
109 households
Semi-detached2.3%
91 households
Detached0.9%
35 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
2 households
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household75.7%
3,037 households
1 car or van in household20.4%
817 households
2 cars or vans in household3.3%
134 households
3 or more cars or vans in household0.6%
23 households
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms36.9%
1,482 households
1 bedroom35.9%
1,441 households
3 bedrooms16.9%
678 households
4 or more bedrooms10.2%
410 households
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household41.7%
1,673 households
One-person household35.8%
1,439 households
Other household types22.5%
902 households
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household35.9%
1,439 households
2 people in household32.4%
1,301 households
3 people in household12.1%
485 households
4 people in household8.1%
324 households
5 people in household5.9%
238 households
6 people in household2.8%
111 households
7 people in household1.7%
69 households
8 or more people in household1.1%
43 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1512.9%
1,350 residents
15–2939%
4,069 residents
30–4427.7%
2,894 residents
45–6414.6%
1,525 residents
65 and over5.7%
595 residents
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh48.4%
5,051 residents
White39.1%
4,084 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.7%
488 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.1%
430 residents
Other ethnic group3.6%
379 residents
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above53.7%
4,836 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications16.1%
1,447 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.3%
1,104 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications7.8%
705 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications5.6%
502 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
243 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship1.9%
172 residents aged 16 and over
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)58.9%
5,307 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive35.9%
3,238 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student5.2%
465 residents aged 16 and over
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.4%
1,926 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students19.3%
1,739 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.8%
1,516 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed14.3%
1,291 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations7.1%
643 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations6.4%
573 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers6.3%
564 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.6%
504 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations2.8%
252 residents aged 16 and over
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health54.1%
5,640 residents
Good health31%
3,237 residents
Fair health9.8%
1,026 residents
Bad health3.7%
389 residents
Very bad health1.4%
141 residents
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.6%
9,030 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.4%
1,403 residents
Spitalfields · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension47.4%
1,900 households
Household is deprived in one dimension31%
1,242 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15%
603 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.1%
245 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
21 households
Spitalfields · 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.