Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000900

South Chingford

South Chingford is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,973 residents in Waltham Forest. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Waltham Forest
8,973

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,118

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,777.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

60.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

27.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

31.3%

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.

St Helier North, Merton9,666 residents · 49.5% owned · 31.0% no carPalmers Green East, Enfield8,668 residents · 66.0% owned · 22.8% no carSouthbury West, Enfield9,837 residents · 64.7% owned · 25.6% no carMill Hill Broadway, Barnet8,844 residents · 43.8% owned · 28.4% no carHillingdon Heath, Hillingdon8,823 residents · 46.2% owned · 23.7% no carDagenham Eastbrook, Barking and Dagenham7,030 residents · 55.6% owned · 29.9% no car

Most similar within Waltham Forest

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Chingford Mount, Waltham Forest8,811 residents · 67.5% owned · 26.3% no carHigham Hill, Waltham Forest10,275 residents · 43.8% owned · 36.9% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in South Chingford

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

Tenure

Owned60%
1,870 households
Social rented20.3%
633 households
Private rented18.6%
581 households
Shared ownership1%
31 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced45.1%
1,409 households
Semi-detached23.1%
722 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement19.9%
621 households
Detached6.9%
216 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits3.8%
118 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1%
30 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
6 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household46.2%
1,442 households
No cars or vans in household27%
843 households
2 cars or vans in household20.1%
627 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.7%
209 households
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms49.7%
1,549 households
2 bedrooms21%
655 households
4 or more bedrooms18.3%
571 households
1 bedroom11%
344 households
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household62.8%
1,958 households
One-person household23.4%
731 households
Other household types13.8%
430 households
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household25.4%
792 households
1 person in household23.4%
731 households
4 people in household18.1%
565 households
3 people in household17.9%
557 households
5 people in household9%
281 households
6 people in household3.9%
122 households
7 people in household1.4%
43 households
8 or more people in household0.9%
28 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.9%
1,786 residents
15–2919.5%
1,750 residents
30–4422.1%
1,985 residents
45–6425.5%
2,288 residents
65 and over13%
1,165 residents
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White48.5%
4,348 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African18.6%
1,670 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh17.1%
1,536 residents
Other ethnic group8.8%
787 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups7%
632 residents
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above31.3%
2,202 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications23.1%
1,629 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications14.6%
1,026 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.6%
887 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.4%
730 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.6%
324 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.5%
245 residents aged 16 and over
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60.6%
4,269 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive36.7%
2,583 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.7%
188 residents aged 16 and over
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.9%
1,190 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers14%
986 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed12.4%
874 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.8%
832 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.6%
820 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11%
775 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students9.1%
641 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.5%
600 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.6%
326 residents aged 16 and over
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health49.6%
4,447 residents
Good health34%
3,052 residents
Fair health11.8%
1,055 residents
Bad health3.5%
317 residents
Very bad health1.1%
102 residents
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.9%
7,708 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.1%
1,267 residents
South Chingford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension41.6%
1,297 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.8%
1,117 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.1%
532 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5.2%
162 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
11 households
South Chingford · 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 Waltham Forest

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.