Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003530

Hilsea

Hilsea is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,865 residents in Portsmouth. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Portsmouth
7,865

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,319

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,651.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

55.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

23.2%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

25.4%

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.

Maybush, Southampton8,703 residents · 53.5% owned · 21.7% no carSpringbank, Cheltenham6,733 residents · 50.2% owned · 21.1% no carStaple Hill South & Kingswood North West, South Gloucestershire9,713 residents · 64.2% owned · 19.8% no carRainham North East, Medway7,300 residents · 61.3% owned · 20.7% no carPudsey North East, Leeds7,687 residents · 59.7% owned · 27.7% no carMiddleton Town Street, Leeds8,039 residents · 62.7% owned · 26.7% no car

Most similar within Portsmouth

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Paulsgrove West & Port Solent, Portsmouth6,380 residents · 62.8% owned · 18.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Hilsea

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

Tenure

Owned55%
1,824 households
Social rented23.1%
766 households
Private rented20.3%
674 households
Shared ownership1.4%
46 households
Lives rent free0.3%
9 households
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement36%
1,195 households
Terraced30.7%
1,017 households
Semi-detached28.8%
955 households
Detached2.8%
92 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.8%
28 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.8%
27 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
3 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45%
1,494 households
2 cars or vans in household25.1%
833 households
No cars or vans in household23.2%
769 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.7%
221 households
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms48.6%
1,611 households
2 bedrooms29%
961 households
1 bedroom12.3%
409 households
4 or more bedrooms10.1%
336 households
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household65.1%
2,158 households
One-person household29.1%
965 households
Other household types5.8%
193 households
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34.8%
1,155 households
1 person in household29.1%
965 households
3 people in household16%
530 households
4 people in household13%
430 households
5 people in household5.4%
178 households
6 people in household1.3%
43 households
7 people in household0.4%
13 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519%
1,491 residents
15–2917%
1,337 residents
30–4422.4%
1,759 residents
45–6424.9%
1,959 residents
65 and over16.7%
1,317 residents
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White86.8%
6,832 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh5.3%
421 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.5%
356 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.1%
162 residents
Other ethnic group1.3%
99 residents
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above25.4%
1,593 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications20.8%
1,303 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19.4%
1,221 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15%
939 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.3%
649 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.5%
405 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
168 residents aged 16 and over
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63.2%
3,969 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive34.4%
2,162 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.4%
150 residents aged 16 and over
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.1%
1,326 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14%
880 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.4%
839 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.6%
788 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10%
626 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.1%
574 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.7%
485 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.4%
403 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.7%
357 residents aged 16 and over
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48%
3,774 residents
Good health34.3%
2,700 residents
Fair health12.6%
992 residents
Bad health3.9%
307 residents
Very bad health1.2%
92 residents
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.2%
6,463 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.8%
1,402 residents
Hilsea · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension47.5%
1,575 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.2%
1,102 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.3%
474 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.6%
154 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
13 households
Hilsea · 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 Portsmouth

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.