Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004462

Witham Town

Witham Town is a Census neighbourhood of about 11,584 residents in Braintree. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

11,584

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,276

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,685

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

59.7%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

20.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

28.0%

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.

Leighton Buzzard Central, Central Bedfordshire9,584 residents · 56.3% owned · 22.3% no carBiggleswade West, Central Bedfordshire11,314 residents · 64.0% owned · 16.9% no carPudsey South East, Leeds7,535 residents · 62.9% owned · 23.5% no carEast Grinstead Central & North, Mid Sussex13,280 residents · 60.6% owned · 19.4% no carBrackley South, West Northamptonshire5,502 residents · 62.1% owned · 17.5% no carIdle, Bradford12,241 residents · 64.9% owned · 23.4% no car

Most similar within Braintree

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Central Braintree, Braintree9,441 residents · 54.0% owned · 22.2% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Witham Town

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

Tenure

Owned59.7%
3,149 households
Private rented21.4%
1,130 households
Social rented17.8%
941 households
Shared ownership1%
54 households
Lives rent free0%
2 households
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement29.9%
1,578 households
Terraced28.8%
1,520 households
Semi-detached21.5%
1,135 households
Detached15.5%
816 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.4%
125 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.1%
59 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.7%
38 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
5 households
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.5%
2,347 households
2 cars or vans in household27.3%
1,440 households
No cars or vans in household20.6%
1,088 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.6%
403 households
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms31.2%
1,644 households
2 bedrooms31.1%
1,639 households
1 bedroom19.5%
1,026 households
4 or more bedrooms18.3%
966 households
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household61.3%
3,234 households
One-person household35%
1,848 households
Other household types3.6%
191 households
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household35%
1,848 households
2 people in household34.3%
1,810 households
3 people in household14.9%
785 households
4 people in household11.2%
592 households
5 people in household3.4%
180 households
6 people in household0.9%
47 households
7 people in household0.2%
9 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.4%
2,016 residents
15–2918.1%
2,091 residents
30–4422.9%
2,653 residents
45–6423.7%
2,744 residents
65 and over18%
2,080 residents
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White90.8%
10,519 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2.9%
340 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.7%
317 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.6%
306 residents
Other ethnic group0.9%
103 residents
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above28%
2,644 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.5%
1,747 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.3%
1,730 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.9%
1,502 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.6%
1,099 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.1%
478 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
255 residents aged 16 and over
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)64.7%
6,113 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive33.8%
3,193 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.6%
148 residents aged 16 and over
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.2%
2,097 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations14.5%
1,366 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.2%
1,247 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.5%
1,184 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11.8%
1,119 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.8%
929 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.2%
590 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.6%
532 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.1%
389 residents aged 16 and over
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.8%
5,417 residents
Good health35.1%
4,067 residents
Fair health12.9%
1,499 residents
Bad health3.9%
455 residents
Very bad health1.3%
145 residents
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.6%
9,570 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.4%
2,012 residents
Witham Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension49.2%
2,598 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.6%
1,775 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions13.5%
713 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.4%
179 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
11 households
Witham Town · 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 Braintree

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.