Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003747

Whittlesey

Whittlesey is a Census neighbourhood of about 12,680 residents in Fenland. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

12,680

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,533

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,175

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

69.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

14.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

20.6%

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.

Attleborough, Breckland10,591 residents · 66.2% owned · 14.8% no carBalderton, Newark and Sherwood10,348 residents · 73.9% owned · 16.3% no carEarl Shilton, Hinckley and Bosworth10,630 residents · 67.4% owned · 14.4% no carBedworth Woodlands, Nuneaton and Bedworth7,080 residents · 73.7% owned · 20.1% no carRothwell, North Northamptonshire8,621 residents · 65.2% owned · 13.2% no carHailsham South & West, Wealden5,791 residents · 70.6% owned · 16.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Whittlesey

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

Tenure

Owned69.7%
3,854 households
Private rented18%
996 households
Social rented11.5%
637 households
Shared ownership0.8%
45 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached44.7%
2,470 households
Semi-detached29.3%
1,620 households
Terraced16%
883 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement7.3%
401 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
53 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%
49 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.6%
34 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.4%
21 households
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.4%
2,347 households
2 cars or vans in household32%
1,771 households
No cars or vans in household14.8%
821 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10.7%
594 households
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms46.1%
2,548 households
2 bedrooms26%
1,439 households
4 or more bedrooms19.6%
1,085 households
1 bedroom8.3%
459 households
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household65.7%
3,635 households
One-person household29.6%
1,637 households
Other household types4.8%
264 households
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household37.6%
2,081 households
1 person in household29.6%
1,637 households
3 people in household16.4%
909 households
4 people in household10.8%
599 households
5 people in household4.2%
234 households
6 people in household1.1%
59 households
7 people in household0.2%
10 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.6%
2,101 residents
15–2916.3%
2,064 residents
30–4418.1%
2,291 residents
45–6426.1%
3,308 residents
65 and over23%
2,917 residents
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White95.3%
12,091 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.5%
191 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.4%
180 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.1%
138 residents
Other ethnic group0.6%
82 residents
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications23.8%
2,483 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above20.6%
2,146 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.7%
1,852 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications16.2%
1,695 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.4%
1,291 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.6%
685 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
285 residents aged 16 and over
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)57.8%
6,034 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive40.7%
4,247 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
153 residents aged 16 and over
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.3%
2,017 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14.8%
1,542 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.9%
1,455 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.7%
1,428 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.8%
1,124 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9%
944 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.8%
817 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.3%
660 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.3%
448 residents aged 16 and over
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health40.8%
5,179 residents
Good health38.8%
4,919 residents
Fair health15%
1,901 residents
Bad health4%
510 residents
Very bad health1.3%
171 residents
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.7%
10,233 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.3%
2,447 residents
Whittlesey · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension45.8%
2,532 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.7%
1,973 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15.1%
833 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.3%
180 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
15 households
Whittlesey · 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 Fenland

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.