Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002837

Northfields & Merrydale

Northfields & Merrydale is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,981 residents in Leicester. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Leicester
9,981

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,893

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

8,887.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

44.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

34.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

17.5%

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.

Normanton North & Peartree, Derby8,956 residents · 50.6% owned · 35.8% no carFoleshill West, Coventry7,355 residents · 41.4% owned · 34.3% no carPalfrey, Walsall10,264 residents · 47.0% owned · 34.2% no carWexham Lea, Slough12,503 residents · 47.4% owned · 20.7% no carBaylis & Stoke, Slough12,243 residents · 49.6% owned · 19.0% no carDewsbury Moor Lower & Westtown, Kirklees7,039 residents · 54.8% owned · 27.7% no car

Most similar within Leicester

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Belgrave North East, Leicester8,999 residents · 47.9% owned · 36.5% no carNorth Evington & Rowlatts Hill, Leicester11,176 residents · 46.4% owned · 33.5% no carBelgrave North West, Leicester10,317 residents · 46.0% owned · 41.1% no carHighfields South, Leicester11,123 residents · 37.9% owned · 42.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Northfields & Merrydale

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

Tenure

Owned44.2%
1,279 households
Social rented33%
955 households
Private rented22.3%
645 households
Lives rent free0.3%
8 households
Shared ownership0.2%
6 households
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached41.3%
1,195 households
Terraced38.6%
1,116 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement11.2%
325 households
Detached6.1%
177 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.9%
55 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.8%
22 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
3 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.2%
1,193 households
No cars or vans in household34.1%
987 households
2 cars or vans in household19.2%
556 households
3 or more cars or vans in household5.5%
158 households
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms57.4%
1,662 households
2 bedrooms18.4%
533 households
1 bedroom14%
406 households
4 or more bedrooms10.1%
293 households
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household62.2%
1,799 households
One-person household21.2%
614 households
Other household types16.5%
478 households
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household21.2%
614 households
4 people in household18.1%
524 households
2 people in household17.4%
504 households
3 people in household16.4%
474 households
5 people in household12.7%
367 households
6 people in household6.5%
188 households
8 or more people in household4.6%
134 households
7 people in household3%
88 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1523.3%
2,327 residents
15–2924.2%
2,418 residents
30–4422.6%
2,252 residents
45–6422.3%
2,227 residents
65 and over7.6%
755 residents
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh63.1%
6,302 residents
White20.6%
2,060 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African7.7%
772 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.3%
430 residents
Other ethnic group4.2%
418 residents
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications36.6%
2,722 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above17.5%
1,301 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications14.4%
1,073 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12%
893 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications10.7%
794 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications5.5%
410 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.2%
241 residents aged 16 and over
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)55.8%
4,152 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive41.3%
3,073 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.8%
211 residents aged 16 and over
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations30.3%
2,252 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed17.5%
1,300 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.5%
852 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students11.4%
849 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations7.8%
577 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations7.4%
550 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers6%
449 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.2%
384 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations3%
223 residents aged 16 and over
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health53.8%
5,367 residents
Good health30.2%
3,015 residents
Fair health11.3%
1,129 residents
Bad health3.6%
355 residents
Very bad health1.2%
115 residents
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act87.1%
8,695 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act12.9%
1,286 residents
Northfields & Merrydale · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension37.5%
1,084 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension27.6%
798 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions25%
724 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions9.4%
272 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.6%
16 households
Northfields & Merrydale · 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 Leicester

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.