Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000880

Whitechapel

Whitechapel is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,514 residents in Tower Hamlets. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Tower Hamlets
6,514

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,281

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

17,487.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

20.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

69.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

42.6%

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.

Stratford East, Newham8,140 residents · 27.1% owned · 58.9% no carStratford Central, Newham9,987 residents · 21.5% owned · 67.0% no carNewtown & Nicholstown, Southampton11,609 residents · 22.4% owned · 48.8% no carCanning Town Central, Newham10,282 residents · 22.5% owned · 58.7% no carForest Gate West, Newham8,076 residents · 29.6% owned · 53.7% no carCamden Street & Elm Village, Camden8,908 residents · 18.4% owned · 72.8% no car

Most similar within Tower Hamlets

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Bethnal Green South, Tower Hamlets7,274 residents · 21.0% owned · 71.3% no carBethnal Green Central, Tower Hamlets7,496 residents · 18.6% owned · 65.9% no carStepney Green, Tower Hamlets8,343 residents · 22.4% owned · 62.9% no carPoplar West, Tower Hamlets10,801 residents · 18.9% owned · 65.2% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Whitechapel

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

Tenure

Private rented40.9%
932 households
Social rented37.2%
849 households
Owned20.6%
470 households
Shared ownership1%
23 households
Lives rent free0.3%
7 households
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement80.8%
1,841 households
Terraced8.5%
193 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits3%
68 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.5%
56 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.4%
55 households
Semi-detached1.9%
43 households
Detached0.9%
21 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household69.8%
1,592 households
1 car or van in household25.5%
581 households
2 cars or vans in household3.8%
87 households
3 or more cars or vans in household1%
22 households
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms39.5%
900 households
1 bedroom31.4%
717 households
3 bedrooms17.7%
404 households
4 or more bedrooms11.4%
260 households
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household47.7%
1,087 households
One-person household29.6%
675 households
Other household types22.8%
519 households
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household29.6%
675 households
2 people in household27.7%
632 households
3 people in household14.2%
323 households
4 people in household12.4%
282 households
5 people in household8.9%
202 households
6 people in household4%
92 households
7 people in household1.8%
40 households
8 or more people in household1.6%
36 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.1%
1,247 residents
15–2931%
2,020 residents
30–4428.1%
1,832 residents
45–6415.8%
1,030 residents
65 and over5.9%
386 residents
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh56.3%
3,668 residents
White28.8%
1,876 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African6.6%
427 residents
Other ethnic group4.3%
278 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.1%
265 residents
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above42.6%
2,217 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications19.4%
1,009 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.5%
858 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications8.6%
445 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.7%
403 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
157 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.2%
112 residents aged 16 and over
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)58%
3,017 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive37.1%
1,928 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student4.9%
255 residents aged 16 and over
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations17.5%
910 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed16.4%
854 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students15.9%
827 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.1%
682 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.2%
477 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8.7%
454 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.4%
435 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.1%
367 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.8%
196 residents aged 16 and over
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health49.9%
3,252 residents
Good health34.3%
2,236 residents
Fair health10.4%
676 residents
Bad health3.9%
256 residents
Very bad health1.4%
94 residents
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.3%
5,622 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.7%
891 residents
Whitechapel · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension36.3%
828 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension35.5%
809 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions20.4%
465 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7.1%
163 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.7%
16 households
Whitechapel · 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.