Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003557

Highfield & University

Highfield & University is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,799 residents in Southampton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Southampton
6,799

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,756

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,146.2

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

49.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

26.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

49.0%

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.

Clarendon Park & Stoneygate South, Leicester11,333 residents · 45.6% owned · 31.7% no carFulford Road & Clementhorpe, York11,774 residents · 48.4% owned · 33.5% no carEgham Town, Runnymede6,944 residents · 50.1% owned · 26.4% no carUplands, Swansea8,780 residents · 56.2% owned · 25.2% no carSouth Canterbury, Canterbury9,894 residents · 54.9% owned · 27.6% no carWokingham Road, Reading8,973 residents · 42.6% owned · 30.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Highfield & University

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

Tenure

Owned49.5%
1,364 households
Private rented42.8%
1,179 households
Social rented7.3%
202 households
Shared ownership0.4%
10 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement40.8%
1,125 households
Semi-detached23.5%
648 households
Detached18.8%
519 households
Terraced11%
302 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits4.9%
134 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.6%
16 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
10 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.9%
1,238 households
No cars or vans in household26.4%
727 households
2 cars or vans in household20.9%
575 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.8%
216 households
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

4 or more bedrooms32.8%
904 households
2 bedrooms28.7%
790 households
3 bedrooms19.6%
541 households
1 bedroom18.9%
521 households
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household47.6%
1,313 households
One-person household33.2%
916 households
Other household types19.2%
530 households
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household33.2%
916 households
2 people in household31.4%
865 households
4 people in household12.3%
340 households
3 people in household11.5%
317 households
5 people in household6.4%
177 households
6 people in household3.2%
88 households
7 people in household1.2%
33 households
8 or more people in household0.7%
20 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1511.7%
793 residents
15–2937.9%
2,580 residents
30–4417.4%
1,184 residents
45–6416.9%
1,148 residents
65 and over16.1%
1,095 residents
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White75.9%
5,159 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh14.7%
1,002 residents
Other ethnic group3.7%
253 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.4%
231 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.2%
151 residents
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above49%
2,917 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications28%
1,669 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications7.5%
445 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications6.8%
408 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications4.2%
249 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.5%
150 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2%
120 residents aged 16 and over
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive48.5%
2,886 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)43.7%
2,605 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student7.8%
465 residents aged 16 and over
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L15 Full-time students32.2%
1,919 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.1%
1,199 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations16.9%
1,006 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations7.3%
433 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations6.1%
364 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers5.7%
341 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.3%
314 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.4%
260 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations2%
121 residents aged 16 and over
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health53.9%
3,661 residents
Good health33.4%
2,268 residents
Fair health9.6%
653 residents
Bad health2.5%
170 residents
Very bad health0.7%
45 residents
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act84.9%
5,777 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act15.1%
1,024 residents
Highfield & University · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension55.1%
1,518 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.3%
891 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.8%
298 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.6%
43 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
6 households
Highfield & University · 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 Southampton

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.