Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003293

Southend Central

Southend Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 11,692 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
11,692

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,668

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

7,151.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

40.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

41.3%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

31.1%

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.

Worthing Central, Worthing10,186 residents · 43.2% owned · 41.8% no carCentral Hastings, Hastings6,877 residents · 39.9% owned · 46.8% no carHerne Bay Parade, Canterbury7,592 residents · 50.0% owned · 32.8% no carKing Edward's Parade, Eastbourne7,643 residents · 44.9% owned · 43.7% no carExmouth Town, East Devon6,974 residents · 53.8% owned · 29.3% no carPier, Eastbourne8,424 residents · 27.2% owned · 48.6% no car

Most similar within Southend-on-Sea

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Kursaal, Southend-on-Sea12,092 residents · 33.2% owned · 39.6% no carVictoria, Southend-on-Sea13,008 residents · 33.9% owned · 40.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Southend 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%
3,096 households
Owned40.7%
2,307 households
Social rented4.3%
243 households
Shared ownership0.4%
20 households
Lives rent free0%
2 households
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits40.2%
2,278 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement28.2%
1,599 households
Terraced11.6%
655 households
Semi-detached8.8%
500 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop5.2%
294 households
Detached3.4%
193 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.6%
147 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
4 households
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.7%
2,477 households
No cars or vans in household41.3%
2,341 households
2 cars or vans in household11.9%
674 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3.1%
176 households
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms39.6%
2,245 households
1 bedroom31.8%
1,801 households
3 bedrooms15.3%
868 households
4 or more bedrooms13.3%
754 households
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household46.7%
2,647 households
Single family household45.7%
2,589 households
Other household types7.7%
434 households
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household46.7%
2,647 households
2 people in household28.4%
1,611 households
3 people in household13.1%
741 households
4 people in household7.6%
433 households
5 people in household2.6%
148 households
6 people in household0.9%
50 households
7 people in household0.5%
30 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
10 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.2%
1,773 residents
15–2920%
2,336 residents
30–4423.4%
2,733 residents
45–6426%
3,042 residents
65 and over15.5%
1,807 residents
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White81.4%
9,518 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh7.1%
831 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5.4%
627 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.1%
477 residents
Other ethnic group2%
237 residents
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above31.1%
3,055 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.5%
1,819 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.1%
1,773 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.9%
1,369 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.5%
1,029 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.9%
484 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
290 residents aged 16 and over
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60%
5,894 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive37.6%
3,690 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.4%
236 residents aged 16 and over
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations19%
1,861 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.4%
1,217 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.9%
1,165 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.5%
1,130 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.9%
1,069 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10.8%
1,065 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed9.9%
969 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students8.2%
808 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.4%
535 residents aged 16 and over
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44.5%
5,206 residents
Good health34.7%
4,057 residents
Fair health14.8%
1,736 residents
Bad health4.7%
553 residents
Very bad health1.2%
140 residents
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.8%
9,324 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.2%
2,367 residents
Southend Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension40.7%
2,309 households
Household is deprived in one dimension36.4%
2,065 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17%
966 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5%
286 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.8%
45 households
Southend 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 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.