Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003250

Peterborough Central

Peterborough Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 12,049 residents in Peterborough. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Peterborough
12,049

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,693

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,538.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

31.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

45.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

26.0%

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.

Burton Central, East Staffordshire12,153 residents · 40.9% owned · 33.5% no carBurton Shobnall, East Staffordshire8,470 residents · 45.0% owned · 31.8% no carHigh Town, Luton9,371 residents · 24.4% owned · 43.7% no carWakefield Central, Wakefield9,191 residents · 36.4% owned · 42.8% no carBarton, Gloucester8,614 residents · 45.6% owned · 35.8% no carWestgate, Ipswich10,199 residents · 38.7% owned · 34.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Peterborough Central

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

Tenure

Private rented54.6%
2,564 households
Owned31.5%
1,479 households
Social rented12.8%
599 households
Shared ownership0.9%
43 households
Lives rent free0.2%
8 households
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement37.3%
1,749 households
Terraced22.7%
1,065 households
Semi-detached18.4%
865 households
Detached9.2%
434 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits7.3%
342 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.9%
136 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2%
96 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
7 households
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household45.5%
2,134 households
1 car or van in household40.1%
1,880 households
2 cars or vans in household11.3%
532 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3.2%
148 households
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms36.5%
1,715 households
1 bedroom25.1%
1,178 households
3 bedrooms24.8%
1,166 households
4 or more bedrooms13.6%
637 households
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household50.2%
2,358 households
One-person household34.7%
1,627 households
Other household types15.1%
709 households
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household34.6%
1,626 households
2 people in household27%
1,265 households
3 people in household14.9%
700 households
4 people in household10.2%
477 households
5 people in household6.8%
319 households
6 people in household3.5%
165 households
8 or more people in household1.7%
82 households
7 people in household1.3%
59 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.5%
2,353 residents
15–2923.6%
2,839 residents
30–4426.8%
3,235 residents
45–6420.8%
2,504 residents
65 and over9.3%
1,118 residents
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White51%
6,152 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh34.6%
4,172 residents
Other ethnic group5.7%
689 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.6%
556 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4%
483 residents
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications31.6%
3,011 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above26%
2,481 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.7%
1,211 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications10.1%
964 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications9.9%
949 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications5%
478 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.7%
444 residents aged 16 and over
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63%
6,003 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive34.7%
3,308 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.3%
222 residents aged 16 and over
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations27.4%
2,609 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed13.5%
1,292 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.6%
1,107 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.9%
1,041 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.2%
781 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.2%
780 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations7.7%
733 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students7.3%
700 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.2%
496 residents aged 16 and over
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.4%
5,468 residents
Good health36.7%
4,427 residents
Fair health12.6%
1,524 residents
Bad health4.1%
498 residents
Very bad health1.1%
134 residents
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.8%
10,465 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.2%
1,586 residents
Peterborough Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension38.4%
1,801 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension37%
1,738 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions18.3%
859 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5.9%
277 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
18 households
Peterborough 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 Peterborough

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.