Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02000943

Balham

Balham is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,721 residents in Wandsworth. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Wandsworth
8,721

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,809

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

12,359.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

46.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

50.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

73.7%

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.

Clapham South, Lambeth7,714 residents · 50.5% owned · 42.6% no carClapham Park West, Lambeth9,293 residents · 46.3% owned · 44.5% no carMunster, Hammersmith and Fulham5,975 residents · 46.6% owned · 45.8% no carParsons Green West, Hammersmith and Fulham9,229 residents · 34.8% owned · 53.5% no carClapham Old Town, Lambeth7,538 residents · 37.0% owned · 57.6% no carFulham Palace & Hurlingham Park, Hammersmith and Fulham5,680 residents · 48.0% owned · 45.8% no car

Most similar within Wandsworth

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Lavender Hill West & Little India, Wandsworth10,081 residents · 38.5% owned · 53.4% no carSpringfield, Wandsworth10,003 residents · 55.2% owned · 40.3% no carClapham Junction & East Hill, Wandsworth8,916 residents · 37.6% owned · 53.2% no carTooting Bec West, Wandsworth6,431 residents · 44.4% owned · 51.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Balham

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

Tenure

Owned46.5%
1,770 households
Private rented40.6%
1,546 households
Social rented11.5%
438 households
Shared ownership1.4%
55 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement37.6%
1,432 households
Terraced27.8%
1,058 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits23.1%
879 households
Semi-detached5.3%
202 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop3.7%
140 households
Detached1.5%
56 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.1%
41 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household50.1%
1,909 households
1 car or van in household40.9%
1,560 households
2 cars or vans in household7.5%
286 households
3 or more cars or vans in household1.4%
55 households
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms32.5%
1,238 households
4 or more bedrooms25%
951 households
1 bedroom24.8%
946 households
3 bedrooms17.7%
676 households
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household50.9%
1,938 households
One-person household29.9%
1,137 households
Other household types19.3%
734 households
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household36.1%
1,374 households
1 person in household29.9%
1,137 households
3 people in household16.7%
637 households
4 people in household12.4%
471 households
5 people in household4.1%
155 households
6 people in household0.4%
16 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
13 households
7 people in household0.2%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1513.4%
1,166 residents
15–2930.7%
2,677 residents
30–4428.4%
2,476 residents
45–6418.9%
1,652 residents
65 and over8.6%
750 residents
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White76%
6,631 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh9.9%
867 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5.8%
505 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5.6%
489 residents
Other ethnic group2.6%
230 residents
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above73.7%
5,523 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications9%
671 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications6.8%
507 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications5.1%
379 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications2.6%
196 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications1.6%
119 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship1.3%
101 residents aged 16 and over
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)77.4%
5,803 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive21.1%
1,583 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
111 residents aged 16 and over
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations37.1%
2,784 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations27.5%
2,060 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8%
597 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.3%
550 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.4%
403 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations4.5%
338 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.5%
335 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations4%
302 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations1.7%
127 residents aged 16 and over
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health64.6%
5,634 residents
Good health26%
2,269 residents
Fair health6.8%
589 residents
Bad health2.1%
183 residents
Very bad health0.5%
46 residents
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act89.9%
7,844 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act10.1%
880 residents
Balham · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension64.8%
2,467 households
Household is deprived in one dimension24.8%
944 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions7.9%
300 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.3%
89 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
10 households
Balham · 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 Wandsworth

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.