Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003647

Dunstable Central

Dunstable Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,506 residents in Central Bedfordshire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Central Bedfordshire
10,506

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,622

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,213.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

59.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

21.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

30.8%

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 Central, Reigate and Banstead9,169 residents · 59.4% owned · 20.7% no carHemel Hempstead Town, Dacorum11,615 residents · 49.9% owned · 22.9% no carEast Grinstead Central & North, Mid Sussex13,280 residents · 60.6% owned · 19.4% no carWitham Town, Braintree11,584 residents · 59.7% owned · 20.6% no carWoolston, Southampton9,585 residents · 53.7% owned · 19.1% no carBullbrook, Bracknell Forest10,193 residents · 51.9% owned · 19.2% no car

Most similar within Central Bedfordshire

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Leighton Buzzard Central, Central Bedfordshire9,584 residents · 56.3% owned · 22.3% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Dunstable Central

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

Tenure

Owned59.7%
2,760 households
Private rented23.3%
1,076 households
Social rented14.6%
674 households
Shared ownership2.3%
107 households
Lives rent free0.1%
5 households
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement33%
1,527 households
Terraced25%
1,158 households
Semi-detached23.7%
1,097 households
Detached11.4%
525 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.6%
119 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.2%
101 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.9%
89 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.2%
7 households
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.2%
2,090 households
2 cars or vans in household25.4%
1,173 households
No cars or vans in household21.7%
1,003 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.8%
359 households
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms35.5%
1,644 households
3 bedrooms32.5%
1,502 households
1 bedroom18.3%
846 households
4 or more bedrooms13.7%
634 households
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household59.6%
2,758 households
One-person household34%
1,574 households
Other household types6.3%
293 households
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household34%
1,574 households
2 people in household32%
1,480 households
3 people in household16.6%
767 households
4 people in household12.4%
571 households
5 people in household3.6%
165 households
6 people in household0.9%
43 households
7 people in household0.4%
18 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.3%
1,814 residents
15–2918.5%
1,940 residents
30–4424.8%
2,609 residents
45–6423.2%
2,436 residents
65 and over16.2%
1,707 residents
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White84.2%
8,847 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh5.7%
600 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.4%
459 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.9%
409 residents
Other ethnic group1.8%
193 residents
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above30.8%
2,639 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.7%
1,513 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications16.9%
1,448 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.6%
1,167 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.5%
990 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.1%
520 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.4%
295 residents aged 16 and over
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)66.2%
5,672 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive31.2%
2,678 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.6%
222 residents aged 16 and over
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.6%
1,768 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14%
1,196 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.7%
1,085 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.9%
1,023 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.4%
979 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.1%
951 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.6%
563 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.5%
557 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.2%
450 residents aged 16 and over
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.6%
5,104 residents
Good health34.6%
3,630 residents
Fair health12.2%
1,283 residents
Bad health3.5%
372 residents
Very bad health1.1%
117 residents
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act84.2%
8,846 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act15.8%
1,660 residents
Dunstable Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension50.1%
2,315 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.4%
1,546 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13%
599 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.3%
152 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
11 households
Dunstable 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 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.