Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004514

Lexden

Lexden is a Census neighbourhood of about 5,824 residents in Colchester. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

5,824

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,412

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,273.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

76.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

14.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

38.3%

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.

Rectory Park & New Hall Valley, Birmingham7,931 residents · 78.3% owned · 14.5% no carSawbridgeworth, East Hertfordshire8,744 residents · 76.3% owned · 10.4% no carElmdon Heath & Catherine-de-Barnes, Solihull8,625 residents · 72.7% owned · 14.2% no carThorpe St Andrew South & Dussindale, Broadland7,161 residents · 74.6% owned · 11.5% no carHassocks, Keymer & East Hurstpierpoint, Mid Sussex10,039 residents · 81.3% owned · 12.7% no carGreat Baddow North & East, Chelmsford7,825 residents · 83.2% owned · 13.3% no car

Most similar within Colchester

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Stanway, Colchester9,612 residents · 74.7% owned · 14.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Lexden

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

Tenure

Owned76.9%
1,855 households
Private rented13.8%
333 households
Social rented9%
216 households
Shared ownership0.3%
7 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached48.7%
1,173 households
Semi-detached23.2%
560 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement13.8%
332 households
Terraced11.9%
286 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
24 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.9%
22 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
10 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household39.8%
959 households
2 cars or vans in household33.1%
797 households
No cars or vans in household14.8%
358 households
3 or more cars or vans in household12.3%
297 households
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms37%
892 households
4 or more bedrooms35.9%
866 households
2 bedrooms20.3%
490 households
1 bedroom6.8%
164 households
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household66.9%
1,612 households
One-person household28.1%
677 households
Other household types5%
121 households
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household33.3%
802 households
1 person in household28.1%
677 households
3 people in household17.7%
427 households
4 people in household15.5%
374 households
5 people in household3.7%
89 households
6 people in household1.3%
31 households
7 people in household0.2%
6 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.3%
1,007 residents
15–2914.9%
867 residents
30–4416.6%
968 residents
45–6429.2%
1,702 residents
65 and over22%
1,280 residents
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White87.4%
5,086 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh6.6%
384 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.7%
156 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.1%
120 residents
Other ethnic group1.3%
73 residents
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above38.3%
1,819 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.4%
776 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.3%
727 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications14%
662 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.8%
416 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.8%
228 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
116 residents aged 16 and over
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)57.5%
2,729 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive40.6%
1,926 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.9%
91 residents aged 16 and over
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations25%
1,188 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.5%
879 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.1%
572 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11%
523 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.9%
472 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations7.3%
345 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.3%
300 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.6%
268 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.2%
198 residents aged 16 and over
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health50.7%
2,954 residents
Good health34.3%
1,997 residents
Fair health11.2%
650 residents
Bad health3.1%
178 residents
Very bad health0.7%
43 residents
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act83.9%
4,884 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act16.1%
940 residents
Lexden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension54.1%
1,305 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.8%
790 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.7%
257 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.3%
55 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
4 households
Lexden · 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.