Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000883

Poplar Central

Poplar Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,287 residents in Tower Hamlets. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Tower Hamlets
9,287

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,030

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

19,634.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

18.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

62.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

35.3%

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.

East Ham West, Newham8,900 residents · 28.6% owned · 52.0% no carCanning Town Central, Newham10,282 residents · 22.5% owned · 58.7% no carBaker's Arms, Waltham Forest11,798 residents · 33.1% owned · 52.4% no carPlaistow North East, Newham8,610 residents · 31.6% owned · 52.7% no carLittle Ilford East, Newham7,406 residents · 31.0% owned · 44.9% 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.

Stepney Green, Tower Hamlets8,343 residents · 22.4% owned · 62.9% no carShadwell North, Tower Hamlets7,054 residents · 15.1% owned · 65.1% no carPoplar West, Tower Hamlets10,801 residents · 18.9% owned · 65.2% no carLimehouse North & Stepney East, Tower Hamlets11,501 residents · 15.3% owned · 58.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Poplar Central

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

Tenure

Social rented49.3%
1,493 households
Private rented29.1%
881 households
Owned18.9%
573 households
Shared ownership2.5%
77 households
Lives rent free0.2%
6 households
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement79.3%
2,402 households
Terraced9.8%
298 households
Semi-detached4.1%
123 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.2%
67 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.8%
54 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.6%
47 households
Detached1.2%
36 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household62.5%
1,893 households
1 car or van in household31.7%
962 households
2 cars or vans in household5.1%
154 households
3 or more cars or vans in household0.7%
21 households
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms38.7%
1,173 households
3 bedrooms26.6%
805 households
1 bedroom22.5%
682 households
4 or more bedrooms12.2%
370 households
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household54.7%
1,659 households
One-person household26.5%
804 households
Other household types18.8%
569 households
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household26.5%
804 households
2 people in household23.3%
705 households
3 people in household16.1%
489 households
4 people in household13.4%
406 households
5 people in household9.8%
298 households
6 people in household5.4%
163 households
8 or more people in household3.3%
100 households
7 people in household2.2%
67 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1522.3%
2,074 residents
15–2928.4%
2,641 residents
30–4425.1%
2,331 residents
45–6417.5%
1,627 residents
65 and over6.6%
614 residents
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh52.3%
4,854 residents
White30.3%
2,815 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African10.9%
1,009 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.7%
339 residents
Other ethnic group2.9%
270 residents
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above35.3%
2,493 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications22.8%
1,610 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications15.2%
1,073 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications10.9%
769 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.5%
670 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.9%
274 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.5%
179 residents aged 16 and over
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)53.5%
3,778 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.4%
2,995 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student4.1%
293 residents aged 16 and over
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed18.2%
1,287 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students15%
1,060 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.4%
1,018 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.5%
743 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10%
706 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.9%
697 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.5%
599 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.3%
588 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.2%
369 residents aged 16 and over
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health49.8%
4,627 residents
Good health32.5%
3,020 residents
Fair health11.7%
1,085 residents
Bad health4.5%
420 residents
Very bad health1.5%
137 residents
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85%
7,895 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act15%
1,391 residents
Poplar Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension34.9%
1,057 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension33.5%
1,016 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions22%
667 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions9.1%
275 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
15 households
Poplar Central · 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.