Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003325

Gillingham Central

Gillingham Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,360 residents in Medway. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Medway
7,360

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,009

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

8,824.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

38.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

38.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

26.4%

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.

Westgate, Ipswich10,199 residents · 38.7% owned · 34.5% no carAylestone North & Saffron Fields, Leicester7,256 residents · 40.7% owned · 33.5% no carFratton Kingston, Portsmouth10,355 residents · 44.8% owned · 36.8% no carPassmores & The High, Harlow8,822 residents · 41.5% owned · 34.8% no carNuneaton Town Centre, Nuneaton and Bedworth9,145 residents · 45.4% owned · 36.3% no carStoke Heath, Coventry8,535 residents · 45.4% owned · 35.6% no car

Most similar within Medway

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Luton, Medway6,804 residents · 41.6% owned · 33.3% no carChatham Central and Rochester Riverside, Medway9,919 residents · 33.1% owned · 39.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Gillingham Central

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

Tenure

Private rented43.8%
1,317 households
Owned38.5%
1,158 households
Social rented16.8%
507 households
Shared ownership0.7%
22 households
Lives rent free0.2%
5 households
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced52.5%
1,577 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement24.9%
748 households
Semi-detached7.6%
229 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits7.1%
214 households
Detached3.9%
116 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop3.2%
97 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.8%
24 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44%
1,325 households
No cars or vans in household38.8%
1,166 households
2 cars or vans in household13.9%
419 households
3 or more cars or vans in household3.3%
98 households
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms37.9%
1,140 households
3 bedrooms33.4%
1,005 households
1 bedroom21.1%
635 households
4 or more bedrooms7.5%
226 households
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household55.7%
1,674 households
One-person household34.7%
1,044 households
Other household types9.6%
290 households
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household34.7%
1,044 households
2 people in household25.2%
760 households
3 people in household18.8%
565 households
4 people in household12.2%
366 households
5 people in household5.9%
177 households
6 people in household2%
61 households
7 people in household0.7%
21 households
8 or more people in household0.6%
17 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1521.7%
1,598 residents
15–2922%
1,618 residents
30–4423.7%
1,746 residents
45–6422.9%
1,688 residents
65 and over9.6%
709 residents
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White70.1%
5,161 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh12.7%
936 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African9.8%
723 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.5%
331 residents
Other ethnic group2.9%
212 residents
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above26.4%
1,494 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications21.1%
1,193 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.3%
923 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.8%
837 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.7%
721 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.3%
299 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.5%
197 residents aged 16 and over
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60.5%
3,430 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive36.9%
2,090 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.6%
145 residents aged 16 and over
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations17.5%
991 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.8%
893 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.2%
803 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed10.5%
593 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.5%
593 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.2%
579 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students9.6%
543 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations6%
338 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.9%
334 residents aged 16 and over
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46%
3,385 residents
Good health35.2%
2,592 residents
Fair health13.4%
989 residents
Bad health4.2%
309 residents
Very bad health1.2%
85 residents
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.5%
5,993 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.5%
1,364 residents
Gillingham Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension38.6%
1,161 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension36.1%
1,086 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions18.6%
560 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5.9%
178 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.8%
23 households
Gillingham 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 Medway

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.