Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004507

Highwoods

Highwoods is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,689 residents in Colchester. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

9,689

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,133

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,857.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

58.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.7%

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.

Waterhouse Lane & Admirals Park, Chelmsford10,349 residents · 57.8% owned · 20.3% no carNewbury South West, West Berkshire8,307 residents · 56.2% owned · 20.3% no carHorsham East & Roffey, Horsham8,272 residents · 68.5% owned · 17.2% no carHaywards Heath East, Mid Sussex7,751 residents · 59.4% owned · 18.0% no carSouthborough East & Longfield Road, Tunbridge Wells8,925 residents · 62.6% owned · 17.3% no carChelmer Village, Chelmsford9,348 residents · 66.7% owned · 13.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Highwoods

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

Tenure

Owned58.2%
2,406 households
Private rented26.6%
1,101 households
Social rented14.4%
596 households
Shared ownership0.7%
28 households
Lives rent free0%
2 households
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached28.5%
1,176 households
Semi-detached27.7%
1,143 households
Terraced24.1%
996 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement18.5%
763 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.8%
33 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.3%
14 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.1%
3 households
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.4%
1,877 households
2 cars or vans in household28.8%
1,191 households
No cars or vans in household17.8%
738 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8%
329 households
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms30.6%
1,263 households
3 bedrooms29.6%
1,223 households
4 or more bedrooms23%
949 households
1 bedroom16.9%
698 households
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household63.8%
2,635 households
One-person household31.9%
1,316 households
Other household types4.3%
179 households
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household31.8%
1,317 households
2 people in household30.5%
1,260 households
3 people in household17.1%
706 households
4 people in household15.6%
645 households
5 people in household3.9%
161 households
6 people in household0.8%
33 households
7 people in household0.2%
9 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.7%
1,911 residents
15–2918.6%
1,800 residents
30–4422.9%
2,221 residents
45–6426.9%
2,607 residents
65 and over11.9%
1,151 residents
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White85%
8,237 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh6.3%
606 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.7%
357 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3%
291 residents
Other ethnic group2%
198 residents
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.7%
2,572 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.3%
1,399 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.6%
1,187 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications13.5%
1,033 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.7%
896 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.7%
355 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
184 residents aged 16 and over
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)66.1%
5,043 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive31.3%
2,385 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.6%
198 residents aged 16 and over
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.5%
1,715 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.8%
1,049 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.6%
958 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.5%
950 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations10.1%
773 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.1%
697 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students7.2%
548 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.1%
544 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.1%
390 residents aged 16 and over
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health50%
4,849 residents
Good health35%
3,388 residents
Fair health10.8%
1,047 residents
Bad health3.3%
319 residents
Very bad health0.9%
86 residents
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act84%
8,136 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act16%
1,553 residents
Highwoods · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension52.6%
2,175 households
Household is deprived in one dimension31.1%
1,284 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions12.1%
499 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.9%
161 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
16 households
Highwoods · 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 Colchester

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.