Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02001858

Handsworth East

Handsworth East is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,148 residents in Birmingham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Birmingham
9,148

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,231

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,581.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

40.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

37.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

32.2%

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.

Wolverhampton Central, Wolverhampton11,532 residents · 29.1% owned · 48.7% no carWaterloo Road, Wolverhampton6,743 residents · 22.3% owned · 50.1% no carChapel Allerton South & Chapeltown, Leeds10,558 residents · 41.6% owned · 41.4% no carPaddock & Greenhead, Kirklees6,826 residents · 48.7% owned · 37.4% no carNewtown & Nicholstown, Southampton11,609 residents · 22.4% owned · 48.8% no carNaul's Mill & Bishopsgate Green, Coventry10,015 residents · 28.7% owned · 45.7% no car

Most similar within Birmingham

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Five Ways South & Calthorpe Park, Birmingham6,710 residents · 35.6% owned · 40.3% no carRotton Park, Birmingham9,892 residents · 50.1% owned · 31.1% no carGravelly Hill & South Erdington, Birmingham13,854 residents · 39.3% owned · 41.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Handsworth East

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

Tenure

Owned40.4%
1,305 households
Private rented35.4%
1,145 households
Social rented23.5%
759 households
Lives rent free0.4%
12 households
Shared ownership0.3%
10 households
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement36%
1,163 households
Semi-detached27.7%
895 households
Terraced16.9%
547 households
Detached11.7%
379 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits5.9%
190 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%
30 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.5%
16 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.3%
11 households
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household39.4%
1,272 households
No cars or vans in household37.5%
1,212 households
2 cars or vans in household15.7%
506 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.5%
241 households
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom29.7%
961 households
3 bedrooms28.6%
925 households
4 or more bedrooms21.8%
705 households
2 bedrooms19.8%
640 households
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household46.7%
1,510 households
One-person household41.3%
1,335 households
Other household types11.9%
386 households
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household41.3%
1,335 households
2 people in household20%
648 households
3 people in household12%
388 households
4 people in household11.7%
379 households
5 people in household7.1%
231 households
6 people in household3.6%
117 households
8 or more people in household2.3%
73 households
7 people in household1.9%
61 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.2%
1,666 residents
15–2926%
2,382 residents
30–4421.2%
1,939 residents
45–6423.7%
2,163 residents
65 and over10.9%
995 residents
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh44.1%
4,032 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African23.1%
2,117 residents
White22.5%
2,055 residents
Other ethnic group5.4%
493 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.9%
449 residents
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above32.2%
2,379 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications23.5%
1,734 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.6%
1,301 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications10.7%
790 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.9%
729 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.2%
239 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.9%
211 residents aged 16 and over
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)48.9%
3,612 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.7%
3,152 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student8.3%
616 residents aged 16 and over
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed18.5%
1,363 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students18.1%
1,340 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.5%
999 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.2%
904 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10%
738 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.5%
624 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.3%
611 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations7%
520 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.8%
284 residents aged 16 and over
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.4%
4,245 residents
Good health35.1%
3,211 residents
Fair health13.6%
1,246 residents
Bad health3.7%
343 residents
Very bad health1.1%
103 residents
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act84.6%
7,740 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act15.4%
1,407 residents
Handsworth East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension39%
1,260 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension35.3%
1,141 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions19.7%
636 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5.4%
175 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
17 households
Handsworth East · 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 Birmingham

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.