Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003516

Hove Central

Hove Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,181 residents in Brighton and Hove. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Brighton and Hove
8,181

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,702

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

17,437.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

35.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

51.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

57.7%

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.

Southsea West, Portsmouth6,748 residents · 36.6% owned · 38.5% no carPimlico North, Westminster8,271 residents · 30.5% owned · 65.5% no carShepherd's Bush South, Hammersmith and Fulham6,433 residents · 28.5% owned · 66.9% no carTunbridge Wells Central, Tunbridge Wells9,097 residents · 40.1% owned · 30.4% no carKilburn West, Brent9,014 residents · 31.0% owned · 62.1% no carSurbiton North, Kingston upon Thames7,199 residents · 43.9% owned · 40.1% no car

Most similar within Brighton and Hove

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Brunswick, Brighton and Hove8,238 residents · 31.3% owned · 60.7% no carSeven Dials, Brighton and Hove8,466 residents · 35.3% owned · 60.6% no carGoldsmid West, Brighton and Hove8,890 residents · 38.9% owned · 45.2% no carKing Alfred, Brighton and Hove7,576 residents · 46.0% owned · 43.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Hove Central

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

Tenure

Private rented60.9%
2,865 households
Owned35.2%
1,657 households
Social rented3.6%
170 households
Shared ownership0.2%
10 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits54.1%
2,545 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement36.4%
1,714 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse3%
142 households
Terraced2.3%
107 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.1%
99 households
Semi-detached1.3%
61 households
Detached0.7%
34 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
2 households
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household51.8%
2,438 households
1 car or van in household40.6%
1,910 households
2 cars or vans in household6.5%
305 households
3 or more cars or vans in household1.1%
50 households
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom46.7%
2,196 households
2 bedrooms40.5%
1,906 households
3 bedrooms9.4%
440 households
4 or more bedrooms3.4%
162 households
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household48.5%
2,279 households
Single family household41%
1,927 households
Other household types10.6%
497 households
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household48.4%
2,279 households
2 people in household36.8%
1,731 households
3 people in household9.1%
426 households
4 people in household4.7%
221 households
5 people in household0.7%
33 households
6 people in household0.3%
12 households
7 people in household0%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
8 or more people in household0%
0 households
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 157.9%
647 residents
15–2925.2%
2,057 residents
30–4428.6%
2,338 residents
45–6427.5%
2,245 residents
65 and over10.9%
890 residents
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White85.8%
7,018 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.7%
383 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh4.2%
346 residents
Other ethnic group3.8%
310 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.5%
122 residents
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above57.7%
4,302 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16%
1,191 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications8.7%
649 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications7.8%
580 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications4.6%
346 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.1%
234 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.1%
155 residents aged 16 and over
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)72%
5,373 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive24.4%
1,817 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3.6%
268 residents aged 16 and over
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations28.2%
2,106 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.4%
1,447 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers12.1%
899 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.6%
713 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8%
599 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students7.9%
591 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.7%
423 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.3%
396 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.8%
283 residents aged 16 and over
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health50.4%
4,125 residents
Good health35%
2,865 residents
Fair health10.6%
865 residents
Bad health3.2%
259 residents
Very bad health0.8%
66 residents
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.9%
6,782 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.1%
1,398 residents
Hove Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension47.2%
2,222 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.4%
1,664 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13.5%
635 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.4%
160 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
22 households
Hove 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 Brighton and Hove

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.