Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002454

Wakefield Central

Wakefield Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,191 residents in Wakefield. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Wakefield
9,191

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,006

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,026.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

36.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

42.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

29.7%

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.

Worcester Town South, Worcester7,459 residents · 44.5% owned · 33.0% no carLoughborough Lemyngton & Hastings, Charnwood12,655 residents · 37.6% owned · 36.0% no carChatham Central and Rochester Riverside, Medway9,919 residents · 33.1% owned · 39.7% no carNuneaton Town Centre, Nuneaton and Bedworth9,145 residents · 45.4% owned · 36.3% no carNew Dock & Eve Hill, Dudley8,373 residents · 39.1% owned · 39.0% no carVictoria, Southend-on-Sea13,008 residents · 33.9% owned · 40.5% no car

Most similar within Wakefield

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Agbrigg & Belle Isle, Wakefield8,990 residents · 39.9% owned · 35.2% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Wakefield Central

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

Tenure

Private rented37%
1,481 households
Owned36.4%
1,459 households
Social rented25.7%
1,031 households
Shared ownership0.8%
32 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement39.1%
1,568 households
Terraced23.7%
950 households
Semi-detached16.5%
661 households
Detached10%
402 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits4.9%
196 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse3.4%
137 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.2%
89 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
5 households
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household42.8%
1,715 households
1 car or van in household37.2%
1,488 households
2 cars or vans in household15.9%
636 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.1%
166 households
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms36.5%
1,463 households
1 bedroom23.4%
938 households
3 bedrooms21%
843 households
4 or more bedrooms19%
762 households
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household48.2%
1,931 households
One-person household42.5%
1,704 households
Other household types9.2%
370 households
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household42.5%
1,704 households
2 people in household27.2%
1,090 households
3 people in household12%
480 households
4 people in household9%
359 households
5 people in household4.1%
163 households
6 people in household2.3%
92 households
8 or more people in household1.5%
60 households
7 people in household1.4%
58 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.1%
1,576 residents
15–2922.1%
2,034 residents
30–4425.4%
2,338 residents
45–6422.9%
2,108 residents
65 and over12.3%
1,135 residents
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White62.4%
5,736 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh27.7%
2,544 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.3%
396 residents
Other ethnic group3.3%
307 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.3%
209 residents
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above29.7%
2,234 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications25.8%
1,942 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.5%
937 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12%
899 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.8%
815 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.7%
427 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.5%
265 residents aged 16 and over
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)61.4%
4,614 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive36.5%
2,746 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.1%
160 residents aged 16 and over
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations21.8%
1,636 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.5%
1,163 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed14.3%
1,076 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations10%
752 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.7%
733 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.4%
704 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.6%
645 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.4%
482 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.4%
328 residents aged 16 and over
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45%
4,135 residents
Good health35.5%
3,261 residents
Fair health13.2%
1,210 residents
Bad health4.9%
450 residents
Very bad health1.5%
135 residents
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.3%
7,568 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.7%
1,623 residents
Wakefield Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension40.9%
1,637 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.5%
1,382 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.6%
704 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.6%
265 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
18 households
Wakefield 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 Wakefield

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.