Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003289

Leigh

Leigh is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,891 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
9,891

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,708

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

6,656.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

66.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

20.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

38.3%

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.

Haywards Heath West, Mid Sussex11,827 residents · 58.7% owned · 19.1% no carSale Central, Trafford9,535 residents · 60.5% owned · 23.6% no carClewer Village, Windsor and Maidenhead7,095 residents · 56.2% owned · 21.0% no carBrentwood Central, Brentwood11,765 residents · 54.7% owned · 24.1% no carWalton Central, Elmbridge7,526 residents · 63.7% owned · 16.6% no carHertford South, East Hertfordshire9,632 residents · 60.0% owned · 17.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Leigh

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

Tenure

Owned66.4%
3,127 households
Private rented31.6%
1,488 households
Social rented1.8%
83 households
Shared ownership0.2%
10 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached22.5%
1,061 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits22.3%
1,049 households
Terraced21%
988 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement19.8%
934 households
Detached9.1%
428 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop3.7%
176 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.4%
67 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
5 households
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household53.1%
2,500 households
2 cars or vans in household21.3%
1,002 households
No cars or vans in household20.8%
981 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.8%
224 households
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms34.7%
1,635 households
3 bedrooms29.4%
1,383 households
4 or more bedrooms18.2%
858 households
1 bedroom17.7%
832 households
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household57.3%
2,700 households
One-person household38.7%
1,820 households
Other household types4%
188 households
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household38.6%
1,820 households
2 people in household32.7%
1,540 households
3 people in household13.2%
622 households
4 people in household12.4%
585 households
5 people in household2.4%
113 households
6 people in household0.6%
26 households
7 people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
8 or more people in household0%
0 households
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.7%
1,652 residents
15–2915.5%
1,537 residents
30–4423%
2,272 residents
45–6427.4%
2,714 residents
65 and over17.4%
1,718 residents
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White93.9%
9,284 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.8%
275 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2%
200 residents
Other ethnic group0.8%
75 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.6%
58 residents
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above38.3%
3,126 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.7%
1,528 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.5%
1,262 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications11.6%
946 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.6%
780 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.1%
333 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.2%
178 residents aged 16 and over
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)67%
5,460 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive31.6%
2,577 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.4%
116 residents aged 16 and over
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations27.8%
2,270 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.8%
1,613 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers13.2%
1,074 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.9%
1,055 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8.4%
688 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.5%
447 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.9%
401 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4%
329 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.4%
274 residents aged 16 and over
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health53.4%
5,286 residents
Good health32.5%
3,215 residents
Fair health10.5%
1,038 residents
Bad health2.7%
269 residents
Very bad health0.8%
83 residents
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.4%
8,546 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.6%
1,343 residents
Leigh · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension58.9%
2,774 households
Household is deprived in one dimension30.5%
1,435 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions9%
426 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.4%
66 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
7 households
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.