Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02003914

Penryn

Penryn is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,476 residents in Cornwall. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Cornwall
8,476

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,479

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,502.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

54.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

20.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.9%

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.

Cathedral & West Common, Lincoln13,625 residents · 54.8% owned · 24.5% no carAberystwyth South, Ceredigion6,459 residents · 54.8% owned · 23.8% no carMincinglake & Beacon Heath, Exeter7,096 residents · 50.4% owned · 26.4% no carStapleton, Bristol, City of6,678 residents · 61.8% owned · 19.1% no carDines Green & St Johns, Worcester8,982 residents · 49.6% owned · 25.5% no carCollege Lane & Oaklands, Chichester12,300 residents · 42.7% owned · 26.0% no car

Most similar within Cornwall

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Falmouth North, Cornwall8,286 residents · 43.1% owned · 27.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Penryn

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

Tenure

Owned54.6%
1,898 households
Private rented29.4%
1,023 households
Social rented14.8%
514 households
Shared ownership1.1%
39 households
Lives rent free0.1%
5 households
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced27.1%
944 households
Semi-detached26.9%
937 households
Detached23%
801 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement15.9%
552 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits3.9%
135 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.4%
48 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.9%
33 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%
30 households
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.9%
1,564 households
2 cars or vans in household26.4%
919 households
No cars or vans in household20%
695 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.7%
302 households
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms37.4%
1,302 households
2 bedrooms33.2%
1,157 households
4 or more bedrooms16.5%
574 households
1 bedroom12.8%
447 households
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household56.4%
1,962 households
One-person household30.3%
1,053 households
Other household types13.4%
465 households
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34.8%
1,210 households
1 person in household30.3%
1,053 households
3 people in household15.8%
549 households
4 people in household13.6%
474 households
5 people in household4%
140 households
6 people in household0.9%
33 households
7 people in household0.4%
14 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1513.9%
1,181 residents
15–2931.6%
2,680 residents
30–4417.8%
1,506 residents
45–6421%
1,784 residents
65 and over15.6%
1,325 residents
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White94.4%
8,002 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.4%
207 residents
Other ethnic group1.6%
138 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.1%
93 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.4%
34 residents
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.9%
2,451 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications26.3%
1,903 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.4%
966 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications12.1%
872 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7%
503 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.5%
396 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications1.9%
137 residents aged 16 and over
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)51.6%
3,729 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.7%
3,087 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student5.7%
412 residents aged 16 and over
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L15 Full-time students21.9%
1,580 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations17%
1,229 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.8%
855 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11.2%
809 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.4%
749 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.9%
642 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8%
578 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.5%
401 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.3%
384 residents aged 16 and over
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47.9%
4,063 residents
Good health34.5%
2,925 residents
Fair health12.6%
1,064 residents
Bad health4%
338 residents
Very bad health1%
86 residents
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.4%
6,729 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.6%
1,750 residents
Penryn · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension45.2%
1,572 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.7%
1,242 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15.4%
535 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.4%
120 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
11 households
Penryn · 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 Cornwall

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.