Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003643

Leighton Buzzard South East

Leighton Buzzard South East is a Census neighbourhood of about 13,726 residents in Central Bedfordshire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Central Bedfordshire
13,726

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,478

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,904.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

70.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

9.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.0%

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.

Horley West, Reigate and Banstead10,508 residents · 72.2% owned · 10.7% no carHorsham West, Horsham10,941 residents · 72.2% owned · 11.2% no carLawley, Horsehay & Lightmoor, Telford and Wrekin8,558 residents · 69.4% owned · 7.7% no carRobin Hood, Lofthouse & Middleton Lane, Leeds10,189 residents · 71.0% owned · 13.2% no carOld Harlow & Newhall, Harlow11,183 residents · 64.3% owned · 11.9% no carOld Costessey & Queens Hills, South Norfolk8,745 residents · 70.9% owned · 8.3% no car

Most similar within Central Bedfordshire

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Biggleswade East, Central Bedfordshire11,227 residents · 72.5% owned · 9.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Leighton Buzzard South East

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

Tenure

Owned70.7%
3,871 households
Private rented14.2%
780 households
Social rented11.9%
652 households
Shared ownership3.1%
170 households
Lives rent free0.1%
5 households
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached37.7%
2,062 households
Terraced25.7%
1,409 households
Detached21.1%
1,157 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement14.3%
785 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.4%
23 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.4%
23 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
10 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.1%
6 households
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household40.4%
2,212 households
2 cars or vans in household39.8%
2,182 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10%
548 households
No cars or vans in household9.8%
534 households
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms43.5%
2,381 households
2 bedrooms28.5%
1,559 households
4 or more bedrooms22.5%
1,232 households
1 bedroom5.6%
306 households
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household72.5%
3,974 households
One-person household23.6%
1,294 households
Other household types3.8%
210 households
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household32.8%
1,796 households
1 person in household23.6%
1,294 households
3 people in household20%
1,095 households
4 people in household18.4%
1,010 households
5 people in household3.9%
213 households
6 people in household0.9%
50 households
7 people in household0.2%
13 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
7 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1523%
3,158 residents
15–2916.4%
2,249 residents
30–4427.1%
3,721 residents
45–6422.1%
3,031 residents
65 and over11.4%
1,566 residents
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White91.6%
12,567 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.2%
443 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2.4%
335 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.2%
296 residents
Other ethnic group0.6%
85 residents
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33%
3,432 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19.8%
2,064 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16.1%
1,679 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications12.8%
1,327 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.7%
1,109 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.5%
573 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.1%
215 residents aged 16 and over
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)72.1%
7,493 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive26.6%
2,765 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.4%
141 residents aged 16 and over
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.2%
2,517 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.6%
1,619 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14.3%
1,488 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10.5%
1,094 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.3%
1,076 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.2%
1,062 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.1%
633 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.4%
459 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.3%
451 residents aged 16 and over
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health52.9%
7,264 residents
Good health34.1%
4,675 residents
Fair health9.7%
1,337 residents
Bad health2.6%
356 residents
Very bad health0.7%
93 residents
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.6%
11,891 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.4%
1,835 residents
Leighton Buzzard South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension58.8%
3,220 households
Household is deprived in one dimension29.2%
1,602 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions9.8%
538 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2%
111 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
8 households
Leighton Buzzard South East · 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 Central Bedfordshire

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.