Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003701

Downley

Downley is a Census neighbourhood of about 12,302 residents in Buckinghamshire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Buckinghamshire
12,302

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,608

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,064.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

68.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

14.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

36.3%

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.

London Colney, St Albans9,804 residents · 66.0% owned · 12.0% no carStanborough, Watford7,254 residents · 69.7% owned · 12.3% no carByfleet, Woking8,022 residents · 73.5% owned · 11.9% no carNash Mills & Bennetts End, Dacorum10,441 residents · 58.4% owned · 15.6% no carLeavesden & Garston Manor, Three Rivers10,815 residents · 67.0% owned · 10.9% no carEgham Hythe & Pooley Green, Runnymede9,753 residents · 65.0% owned · 14.5% no car

Most similar within Buckinghamshire

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Chesham West, Buckinghamshire10,408 residents · 61.5% owned · 16.0% no carVictoria Park, Buckinghamshire6,183 residents · 67.1% owned · 16.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Downley

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

Tenure

Owned68.6%
3,159 households
Social rented15.4%
708 households
Private rented13.8%
635 households
Shared ownership2.2%
101 households
Lives rent free0.1%
5 households
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached33.8%
1,558 households
Terraced24.8%
1,143 households
Detached20.5%
946 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement19.1%
879 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.3%
59 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%
15 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
5 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household38.8%
1,790 households
2 cars or vans in household34.9%
1,609 households
No cars or vans in household14.4%
665 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.8%
544 households
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms43.4%
2,000 households
4 or more bedrooms23.8%
1,097 households
2 bedrooms21.7%
998 households
1 bedroom11.1%
513 households
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household65.8%
3,030 households
One-person household26.8%
1,233 households
Other household types7.4%
341 households
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household29.8%
1,371 households
1 person in household26.8%
1,233 households
3 people in household17.3%
795 households
4 people in household17%
785 households
5 people in household6%
277 households
6 people in household1.9%
87 households
7 people in household0.9%
41 households
8 or more people in household0.4%
19 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.8%
2,440 residents
15–2917.3%
2,132 residents
30–4422%
2,708 residents
45–6424.5%
3,008 residents
65 and over16.4%
2,014 residents
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White68.1%
8,379 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh19.1%
2,354 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5.6%
683 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5%
619 residents
Other ethnic group2.2%
265 residents
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above36.3%
3,523 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.8%
1,725 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications16%
1,551 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13%
1,261 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.9%
866 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.2%
502 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.9%
285 residents aged 16 and over
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)59.6%
5,787 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive37.2%
3,614 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3.2%
307 residents aged 16 and over
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.9%
2,029 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.2%
1,472 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.2%
1,189 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.9%
1,063 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.6%
1,030 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students9.6%
935 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.7%
842 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.5%
730 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.4%
423 residents aged 16 and over
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health51%
6,278 residents
Good health34.1%
4,191 residents
Fair health11.4%
1,399 residents
Bad health2.7%
336 residents
Very bad health0.8%
98 residents
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.7%
10,542 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.3%
1,761 residents
Downley · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51.7%
2,383 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.5%
1,544 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions12%
551 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.7%
123 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
7 households
Downley · 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 Buckinghamshire

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.