Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003286

West Leigh

West Leigh is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,369 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
9,369

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,852

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,118.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

80.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

12.2%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

35.8%

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.

Billericay Central & Sunnymede, Basildon8,101 residents · 75.7% owned · 11.9% no carBexley Village, Bexley8,209 residents · 79.8% owned · 15.4% no carLoughton North, Epping Forest9,863 residents · 76.4% owned · 11.9% no carBickley East, Bromley6,723 residents · 81.5% owned · 14.7% no carWest Wickham, Bromley12,292 residents · 82.6% owned · 15.9% no carUpminster North & Cranham West, Havering6,588 residents · 89.9% owned · 13.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in West Leigh

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

Tenure

Owned80.8%
3,114 households
Private rented16.1%
622 households
Social rented2.8%
109 households
Shared ownership0.2%
7 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached48.5%
1,868 households
Detached23.5%
906 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement14.8%
572 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits6%
230 households
Terraced4.7%
182 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.2%
85 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
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.1%
1,739 households
2 cars or vans in household31.3%
1,206 households
No cars or vans in household12.2%
472 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.3%
437 households
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms35.3%
1,360 households
4 or more bedrooms34.7%
1,337 households
2 bedrooms22.8%
880 households
1 bedroom7.2%
277 households
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household71.1%
2,739 households
One-person household25.8%
993 households
Other household types3.1%
120 households
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household35.1%
1,352 households
1 person in household25.8%
993 households
4 people in household17.9%
690 households
3 people in household16.2%
625 households
5 people in household4%
156 households
6 people in household0.8%
30 households
7 people in household0.2%
7 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.2%
1,705 residents
15–2913.5%
1,264 residents
30–4418%
1,688 residents
45–6428.3%
2,650 residents
65 and over22%
2,056 residents
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White95.2%
8,918 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2%
190 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.6%
149 residents
Other ethnic group0.7%
64 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.5%
49 residents
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above35.8%
2,695 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19.2%
1,448 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16.7%
1,258 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications11.6%
876 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.4%
712 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.6%
345 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
204 residents aged 16 and over
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60.6%
4,569 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive37.9%
2,854 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
112 residents aged 16 and over
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations26.5%
1,999 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.4%
1,686 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14.9%
1,122 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.9%
899 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations7.5%
569 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations4.9%
367 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.8%
364 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4%
305 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3%
227 residents aged 16 and over
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health55.7%
5,221 residents
Good health32.2%
3,019 residents
Fair health9.3%
873 residents
Bad health2.2%
203 residents
Very bad health0.6%
52 residents
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act88.3%
8,270 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act11.7%
1,098 residents
West Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension60.9%
2,348 households
Household is deprived in one dimension30.1%
1,160 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions8.1%
313 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions0.9%
33 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
2 households
West Leigh · 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.