Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004156

Central Exeter

Central Exeter is a Census neighbourhood of about 11,622 residents in Exeter. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

11,622

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,862

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

6,062.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

26.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

53.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

38.4%

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.

City Centre, Barbican & Sutton Harbour, Plymouth11,316 residents · 20.8% owned · 56.7% no carLancaster Central, Lancaster9,086 residents · 35.9% owned · 46.9% no carChinatown, St James & Georgian Quarter, Liverpool9,557 residents · 9.8% owned · 61.7% no carYork City Centre, York11,347 residents · 30.2% owned · 52.2% no carPlasnewydd, Cardiff10,761 residents · 26.5% owned · 48.3% no carEast Cliff, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole13,187 residents · 33.1% owned · 38.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Central Exeter

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

Tenure

Private rented44.4%
2,157 households
Social rented28.1%
1,366 households
Owned26.2%
1,273 households
Shared ownership1.2%
59 households
Lives rent free0.1%
7 households
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement52.6%
2,559 households
Terraced22.7%
1,102 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits9.8%
476 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse4.8%
234 households
Semi-detached4.6%
225 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop3.1%
153 households
Detached2.3%
112 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household53.9%
2,623 households
1 car or van in household35.3%
1,716 households
2 cars or vans in household8.8%
430 households
3 or more cars or vans in household1.9%
93 households
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom43.1%
2,097 households
2 bedrooms31.7%
1,541 households
3 bedrooms13.4%
653 households
4 or more bedrooms11.8%
572 households
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household51.8%
2,517 households
Single family household34.1%
1,659 households
Other household types14.1%
685 households
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household51.8%
2,517 households
2 people in household29.1%
1,417 households
3 people in household8.8%
426 households
4 people in household6.1%
298 households
5 people in household2.7%
131 households
6 people in household0.9%
44 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
17 households
7 people in household0.2%
12 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 156.3%
729 residents
15–2950%
5,808 residents
30–4418.4%
2,140 residents
45–6414.8%
1,715 residents
65 and over10.6%
1,230 residents
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White79.6%
9,250 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh11.5%
1,337 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.6%
414 residents
Other ethnic group3.4%
391 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2%
228 residents
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above38.4%
4,175 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications32.1%
3,487 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications10.2%
1,109 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications8.7%
949 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications5.5%
601 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.5%
275 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.4%
265 residents aged 16 and over
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive52.8%
5,736 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)38.5%
4,177 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student8.7%
949 residents aged 16 and over
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L15 Full-time students40.3%
4,374 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations12.9%
1,397 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.6%
1,048 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.2%
998 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations7.5%
818 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations6.6%
714 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.7%
615 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers5.2%
562 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.1%
336 residents aged 16 and over
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.8%
5,671 residents
Good health34.4%
3,998 residents
Fair health11.7%
1,365 residents
Bad health4%
461 residents
Very bad health1.1%
129 residents
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.2%
9,212 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.8%
2,412 residents
Central Exeter · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension42.6%
2,072 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.7%
1,638 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.2%
838 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions5.8%
281 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.7%
33 households
Central Exeter · 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 Exeter

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.