Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000881

Poplar Leaside

Poplar Leaside is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,831 residents in Tower Hamlets. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Tower Hamlets
10,831

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,854

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

15,345.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

19.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

64.2%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

43.3%

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.

Canning Town Central, Newham10,282 residents · 22.5% owned · 58.7% no carStratford East, Newham8,140 residents · 27.1% owned · 58.9% no carCanning Town South & Bow Creek, Newham13,097 residents · 20.9% owned · 63.1% no carSouth Bermondsey Central, Southwark9,610 residents · 23.4% owned · 62.3% no carClapton Leaside, Hackney8,398 residents · 22.0% owned · 61.1% no carWest Ham & Stratford Park, Newham10,095 residents · 27.5% owned · 53.0% no car

Most similar within Tower Hamlets

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Poplar West, Tower Hamlets10,801 residents · 18.9% owned · 65.2% no carMile End East & Burdett Estate, Tower Hamlets13,809 residents · 26.2% owned · 65.6% no carBromley-by-Bow East, Tower Hamlets11,514 residents · 19.3% owned · 64.8% no carBromley-by-Bow West, Tower Hamlets13,571 residents · 19.8% owned · 65.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Poplar Leaside

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

Tenure

Social rented44.3%
1,709 households
Private rented31.9%
1,230 households
Owned19.6%
757 households
Shared ownership3.9%
149 households
Lives rent free0.2%
9 households
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement81.2%
3,130 households
Terraced9.1%
351 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse4.3%
164 households
Semi-detached2.5%
95 households
Detached1.2%
48 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.1%
43 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
17 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
5 households
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household64.2%
2,471 households
1 car or van in household30%
1,155 households
2 cars or vans in household5.1%
195 households
3 or more cars or vans in household0.7%
28 households
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms39.2%
1,511 households
1 bedroom27.6%
1,064 households
3 bedrooms24.2%
933 households
4 or more bedrooms9%
345 households
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household56.9%
2,192 households
One-person household26.5%
1,022 households
Other household types16.6%
638 households
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household27%
1,040 households
1 person in household26.6%
1,024 households
3 people in household17%
657 households
4 people in household13%
501 households
5 people in household7.6%
293 households
6 people in household5.1%
197 households
7 people in household2.2%
86 households
8 or more people in household1.5%
56 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1521.7%
2,349 residents
15–2930.5%
3,302 residents
30–4427.5%
2,976 residents
45–6415.2%
1,643 residents
65 and over5.2%
561 residents
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh47.8%
5,176 residents
White31%
3,354 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African12.1%
1,314 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5.2%
559 residents
Other ethnic group4%
429 residents
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above43.3%
3,606 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.4%
1,533 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications13.6%
1,131 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications10.4%
864 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.5%
712 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
249 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.9%
238 residents aged 16 and over
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60.1%
5,004 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive35.9%
2,988 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student4%
337 residents aged 16 and over
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations17.7%
1,473 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.7%
1,308 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed14.9%
1,243 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students12.7%
1,060 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.9%
823 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.8%
733 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.4%
700 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.5%
621 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.5%
371 residents aged 16 and over
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health52.3%
5,660 residents
Good health31.7%
3,438 residents
Fair health10.9%
1,180 residents
Bad health3.8%
408 residents
Very bad health1.3%
145 residents
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.6%
9,376 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.4%
1,455 residents
Poplar Leaside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension41.6%
1,604 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.1%
1,237 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions18.4%
708 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7.7%
296 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
7 households
Poplar Leaside · 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.