Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02002844

St Matthews & Highfields North

St Matthews & Highfields North is a Census neighbourhood of about 12,361 residents in Leicester. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Leicester
12,361

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,609

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

12,818.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

33.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

44.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

17.7%

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.

Rumworth North, Bolton9,343 residents · 38.3% owned · 41.2% no carLever Edge, Bolton9,156 residents · 41.3% owned · 31.7% no carBury Park, Luton11,539 residents · 36.3% owned · 41.2% no carDeeplish, Rochdale10,296 residents · 46.8% owned · 34.3% no carLittle Ilford East, Newham7,406 residents · 31.0% owned · 44.9% no carSaltley West, Birmingham9,522 residents · 39.4% owned · 40.3% no car

Most similar within Leicester

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Highfields South, Leicester11,123 residents · 37.9% owned · 42.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in St Matthews & Highfields North

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

Tenure

Social rented48.4%
1,748 households
Owned33.5%
1,208 households
Private rented17.3%
623 households
Lives rent free0.5%
19 households
Shared ownership0.3%
11 households
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement59.4%
2,142 households
Terraced29.4%
1,062 households
Semi-detached4.9%
177 households
Detached2.7%
98 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.1%
74 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.2%
42 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%
13 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household44.4%
1,601 households
1 car or van in household40.6%
1,466 households
2 cars or vans in household12.1%
436 households
3 or more cars or vans in household2.9%
106 households
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms39.4%
1,422 households
3 bedrooms29.4%
1,062 households
1 bedroom20.7%
747 households
4 or more bedrooms10.5%
378 households
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household62.2%
2,245 households
One-person household22.5%
812 households
Other household types15.3%
551 households
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household22.5%
812 households
4 people in household18.1%
653 households
2 people in household17.5%
629 households
3 people in household14.7%
528 households
5 people in household12.9%
464 households
6 people in household7.1%
257 households
7 people in household3.7%
135 households
8 or more people in household3.5%
126 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1524.7%
3,053 residents
15–2922.6%
2,796 residents
30–4420.9%
2,587 residents
45–6422.2%
2,739 residents
65 and over9.6%
1,186 residents
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh68.8%
8,508 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African18.9%
2,331 residents
Other ethnic group5.5%
675 residents
White4.8%
590 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.1%
257 residents
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications37.4%
3,408 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above17.7%
1,612 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.9%
1,174 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.6%
1,148 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications11%
999 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications6%
549 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.3%
213 residents aged 16 and over
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive49.9%
4,542 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)47.1%
4,282 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3%
276 residents aged 16 and over
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations26.5%
2,411 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed23.8%
2,168 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students13.9%
1,266 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.5%
862 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations7.6%
694 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations6.8%
621 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers5.4%
496 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.5%
320 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations2.9%
266 residents aged 16 and over
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health52.1%
6,441 residents
Good health30.9%
3,819 residents
Fair health11.4%
1,408 residents
Bad health4.2%
522 residents
Very bad health1.4%
170 residents
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act87%
10,754 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13%
1,606 residents
St Matthews & Highfields North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension39.7%
1,432 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions27.6%
996 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension21.5%
776 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions10.1%
363 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions1.2%
42 households
St Matthews & Highfields North · 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.