Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003281

Belfairs

Belfairs is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,442 residents in Southend-on-Sea. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Southend-on-Sea
9,442

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,204

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,580.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

76.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.3%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

23.9%

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.

Salvington, Worthing7,889 residents · 76.8% owned · 16.3% no carPeacehaven West, Lewes7,659 residents · 73.0% owned · 20.7% no carWhitstable Central & Tankerton, Canterbury7,808 residents · 70.8% owned · 19.5% no carHerne Bay South & Greenhill, Canterbury8,960 residents · 72.1% owned · 19.0% no carWickford North East, Basildon6,964 residents · 69.7% owned · 17.1% no carSt Anthony's Hill, Eastbourne8,995 residents · 68.8% owned · 20.3% no car

Most similar within Southend-on-Sea

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Eastwood, Southend-on-Sea10,581 residents · 70.9% owned · 17.8% no carSouthchurch, Southend-on-Sea10,151 residents · 63.7% owned · 21.8% no carEastwood Park, Southend-on-Sea9,451 residents · 83.3% owned · 14.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Belfairs

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

Tenure

Owned76.4%
3,211 households
Private rented13.5%
568 households
Social rented9.8%
410 households
Shared ownership0.2%
9 households
Lives rent free0.1%
6 households
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached47.8%
2,010 households
Detached23.5%
988 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement12.8%
540 households
Terraced12.6%
528 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.9%
81 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1%
44 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.3%
12 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.3%
1,817 households
2 cars or vans in household29.2%
1,226 households
No cars or vans in household17.3%
725 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10.3%
433 households
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms38%
1,595 households
2 bedrooms33.2%
1,396 households
4 or more bedrooms17.4%
731 households
1 bedroom11.4%
479 households
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.5%
2,709 households
One-person household31.9%
1,341 households
Other household types3.6%
150 households
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household36.2%
1,522 households
1 person in household31.9%
1,341 households
3 people in household14.4%
607 households
4 people in household12.8%
539 households
5 people in household3.3%
139 households
6 people in household1%
43 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
7 households
7 people in household0.1%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515%
1,417 residents
15–2913.5%
1,276 residents
30–4416.2%
1,527 residents
45–6426.5%
2,501 residents
65 and over28.8%
2,723 residents
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White92.6%
8,744 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.2%
302 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.4%
229 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.9%
89 residents
Other ethnic group0.8%
79 residents
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above23.9%
1,889 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications23.6%
1,870 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16%
1,267 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.6%
1,232 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.4%
901 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.3%
498 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.2%
256 residents aged 16 and over
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)52.6%
4,160 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive46.3%
3,663 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.1%
91 residents aged 16 and over
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.1%
1,669 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations15.6%
1,236 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers13.3%
1,049 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations12%
952 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.6%
919 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.5%
749 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8%
632 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.8%
382 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.1%
326 residents aged 16 and over
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44.9%
4,235 residents
Good health34.5%
3,258 residents
Fair health14.8%
1,398 residents
Bad health4.3%
410 residents
Very bad health1.5%
141 residents
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81%
7,648 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19%
1,794 residents
Belfairs · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension44.2%
1,856 households
Household is deprived in one dimension36.7%
1,540 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15.3%
641 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.5%
145 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
19 households
Belfairs · 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 Southend-on-Sea

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.