Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004513

Greenstead

Greenstead is a Census neighbourhood of about 11,349 residents in Colchester. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

11,349

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,297

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

6,032.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

27.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

40.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

22.1%

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.

Canterbury Barracks, Canterbury9,728 residents · 26.5% owned · 41.2% no carAspley, Longley & University, Kirklees8,124 residents · 38.6% owned · 40.1% no carCromwell Road & Broad Street, Salford9,504 residents · 27.0% owned · 47.5% no carTrefforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf10,431 residents · 44.5% owned · 32.9% no carShelton & Joiner's Square, Stoke-on-Trent10,329 residents · 36.7% owned · 39.4% no carSomers Town, Portsmouth10,937 residents · 20.5% owned · 52.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Greenstead

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

Tenure

Social rented39.3%
1,687 households
Private rented33.2%
1,425 households
Owned27%
1,162 households
Shared ownership0.3%
15 households
Lives rent free0.2%
8 households
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement46.7%
2,006 households
Terraced23.6%
1,013 households
Semi-detached22.3%
958 households
Detached5.5%
237 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.6%
69 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
8 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.1%
4 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household40.6%
1,745 households
1 car or van in household39.6%
1,702 households
2 cars or vans in household15%
644 households
3 or more cars or vans in household4.8%
206 households
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms35.3%
1,518 households
2 bedrooms33.4%
1,437 households
1 bedroom20.4%
877 households
4 or more bedrooms10.8%
465 households
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household50.2%
2,155 households
One-person household32%
1,374 households
Other household types17.8%
766 households
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household32%
1,374 households
2 people in household31.3%
1,344 households
3 people in household16.7%
716 households
4 people in household12.1%
521 households
5 people in household5.5%
238 households
6 people in household1.8%
78 households
7 people in household0.5%
20 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515%
1,699 residents
15–2942.2%
4,790 residents
30–4415.6%
1,767 residents
45–6416.7%
1,898 residents
65 and over10.6%
1,200 residents
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White74.9%
8,499 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh9.3%
1,057 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African8.9%
1,010 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.9%
443 residents
Other ethnic group3%
338 residents
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 3 qualifications30.3%
2,888 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above22.1%
2,107 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.4%
1,760 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13%
1,245 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications9.6%
920 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.5%
332 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.1%
294 residents aged 16 and over
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive49.5%
4,730 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)38.4%
3,669 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student12.1%
1,152 residents aged 16 and over
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L15 Full-time students36.7%
3,504 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.6%
1,204 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations12.2%
1,167 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.1%
867 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed8.2%
786 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers6.6%
628 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations6.1%
581 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.6%
436 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations4%
378 residents aged 16 and over
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.5%
5,160 residents
Good health34.5%
3,918 residents
Fair health14%
1,587 residents
Bad health4.7%
538 residents
Very bad health1.3%
145 residents
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act79.5%
9,017 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act20.5%
2,332 residents
Greenstead · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension36.5%
1,568 households
Household is deprived in one dimension36%
1,549 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions20.8%
892 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.4%
276 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
12 households
Greenstead · 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.