Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004518

Abbey Field

Abbey Field is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,081 residents in Colchester. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,081

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,350

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,565.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

63.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

16.5%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

44.9%

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.

Epsom North, Epsom and Ewell10,249 residents · 65.8% owned · 18.9% no carKingshill & Okus, Swindon8,572 residents · 65.6% owned · 15.7% no carHitchin Highbury, North Hertfordshire7,868 residents · 74.3% owned · 14.3% no carBoxmoor & Apsley, Dacorum11,665 residents · 66.4% owned · 13.0% no carChelmer Village, Chelmsford9,348 residents · 66.7% owned · 13.1% no carBuckhurst Hill, Epping Forest11,752 residents · 72.2% owned · 15.6% no car

Most similar within Colchester

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Mile End South, Colchester7,526 residents · 51.8% owned · 19.2% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Abbey Field

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

Tenure

Owned63.9%
2,140 households
Private rented27.2%
910 households
Social rented8.3%
279 households
Shared ownership0.6%
21 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached37.9%
1,269 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement20.5%
685 households
Detached18.8%
630 households
Terraced16.8%
564 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits4.6%
154 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.2%
39 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.1%
5 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household47.7%
1,598 households
2 cars or vans in household28.2%
944 households
No cars or vans in household16.5%
552 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.6%
253 households
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms35.3%
1,183 households
2 bedrooms28.5%
954 households
4 or more bedrooms25.8%
864 households
1 bedroom10.3%
346 households
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.1%
2,147 households
One-person household29.3%
982 households
Other household types6.5%
219 households
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household30.9%
1,036 households
1 person in household29.4%
983 households
4 people in household17.4%
582 households
3 people in household16.7%
560 households
5 people in household4.3%
145 households
6 people in household0.9%
31 households
7 people in household0.3%
11 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
8 or more people in household0%
0 households
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1520.2%
1,636 residents
15–2919%
1,539 residents
30–4422.6%
1,825 residents
45–6424.7%
1,996 residents
65 and over13.4%
1,086 residents
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White86.7%
7,012 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh5.2%
424 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.2%
338 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.2%
177 residents
Other ethnic group1.7%
134 residents
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above44.9%
2,850 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications18.7%
1,186 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14%
891 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications9.1%
579 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.1%
451 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4%
255 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.1%
131 residents aged 16 and over
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)67%
4,249 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive30.3%
1,920 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.8%
175 residents aged 16 and over
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations27.3%
1,729 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.8%
1,191 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.6%
739 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.7%
618 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.3%
591 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students7.8%
495 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations7.3%
460 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.5%
285 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed3.7%
236 residents aged 16 and over
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health55.9%
4,522 residents
Good health31.8%
2,572 residents
Fair health9.3%
755 residents
Bad health2.3%
183 residents
Very bad health0.6%
51 residents
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.5%
6,992 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.5%
1,089 residents
Abbey Field · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension59.7%
1,997 households
Household is deprived in one dimension30.7%
1,029 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions8%
268 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.5%
50 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
3 households
Abbey Field · 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.