Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003278

New Town

New Town is a Census neighbourhood of about 13,277 residents in Luton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Luton
13,277

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,256

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,865.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

28.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

40.2%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

34.3%

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.

Town Centre & Semilong, West Northamptonshire9,655 residents · 19.2% owned · 46.2% no carYiewsley West, Hillingdon13,293 residents · 41.4% owned · 31.1% no carSt Michael's Road, West Northamptonshire8,570 residents · 28.0% owned · 40.1% no carNewtown & Nicholstown, Southampton11,609 residents · 22.4% owned · 48.8% no carBeckton Park, Newham6,275 residents · 35.0% owned · 39.9% no carCanning Town East, Newham9,173 residents · 28.1% owned · 53.3% no car

Most similar within Luton

The closest matches in the same local authority.

High Town, Luton9,371 residents · 24.4% owned · 43.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in New Town

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

Tenure

Private rented51.2%
2,691 households
Owned28.7%
1,509 households
Social rented19.2%
1,008 households
Shared ownership0.7%
36 households
Lives rent free0.2%
12 households
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement41.2%
2,163 households
Terraced20.3%
1,068 households
Semi-detached19%
1,000 households
Detached9.3%
488 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits7.3%
385 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.8%
97 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%
45 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.2%
8 households
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.7%
2,192 households
No cars or vans in household40.2%
2,110 households
2 cars or vans in household14.2%
746 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3.9%
205 households
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom32.3%
1,697 households
2 bedrooms31.4%
1,648 households
3 bedrooms24.5%
1,288 households
4 or more bedrooms11.8%
622 households
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household53.6%
2,816 households
One-person household34.6%
1,817 households
Other household types11.9%
625 households
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household34.6%
1,817 households
2 people in household26.9%
1,413 households
3 people in household16.3%
857 households
4 people in household13.6%
713 households
5 people in household5.4%
283 households
6 people in household2.1%
111 households
7 people in household0.7%
37 households
8 or more people in household0.5%
24 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.5%
2,588 residents
15–2925.2%
3,339 residents
30–4427.9%
3,700 residents
45–6420.9%
2,773 residents
65 and over6.6%
876 residents
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White57.6%
7,644 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh20.4%
2,712 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African13.2%
1,747 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.9%
657 residents
Other ethnic group3.9%
515 residents
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above34.3%
3,625 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications22.6%
2,388 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.6%
1,336 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications10.3%
1,088 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.1%
1,069 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.1%
537 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications4.9%
523 residents aged 16 and over
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)61.7%
6,519 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive30.3%
3,200 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student8%
844 residents aged 16 and over
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations18.8%
1,991 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students14.6%
1,539 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations12.6%
1,332 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.5%
1,218 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.2%
1,180 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed10.3%
1,092 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.8%
929 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations7.2%
761 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.9%
522 residents aged 16 and over
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health52.4%
6,961 residents
Good health32.3%
4,292 residents
Fair health10.8%
1,440 residents
Bad health3.5%
459 residents
Very bad health0.9%
125 residents
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act87.5%
11,622 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act12.5%
1,655 residents
New Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension38.8%
2,040 households
Household is deprived in one dimension37.7%
1,980 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17%
895 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5.6%
292 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.9%
48 households
New Town · 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 Luton

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.