Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004521

Old Heath & Rowhedge

Old Heath & Rowhedge is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,445 residents in Colchester. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

9,445

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,229

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

981

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

59.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

21.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

27.3%

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.

Birstall, Kirklees9,671 residents · 62.6% owned · 22.9% no carBroadwey & Littlemoor, Dorset7,666 residents · 58.1% owned · 18.9% no carSouthowram & Siddal, Calderdale7,931 residents · 63.8% owned · 24.3% no carTyldesley North, Wigan8,192 residents · 62.6% owned · 22.0% no carMilnrow West, Rochdale6,338 residents · 63.5% owned · 23.7% no carRetford South, Bassetlaw8,795 residents · 60.9% owned · 20.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Old Heath & Rowhedge

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

Tenure

Owned59.8%
2,527 households
Private rented20.5%
865 households
Social rented19.4%
820 households
Shared ownership0.3%
12 households
Lives rent free0.1%
5 households
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached32.9%
1,389 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement25%
1,057 households
Terraced21.3%
900 households
Detached16.8%
710 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2%
83 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure1.2%
50 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.5%
21 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%
18 households
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household42.5%
1,796 households
2 cars or vans in household27.6%
1,169 households
No cars or vans in household21.1%
892 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.8%
372 households
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms37.6%
1,588 households
2 bedrooms33.9%
1,432 households
1 bedroom15.4%
652 households
4 or more bedrooms13.2%
556 households
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household60.6%
2,563 households
One-person household33.6%
1,421 households
Other household types5.8%
245 households
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household34.5%
1,461 households
1 person in household33.6%
1,421 households
3 people in household15.7%
664 households
4 people in household10.9%
461 households
5 people in household3.5%
149 households
6 people in household1.2%
50 households
7 people in household0.3%
14 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
9 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.8%
1,679 residents
15–2918%
1,696 residents
30–4420.7%
1,951 residents
45–6426.5%
2,506 residents
65 and over17.1%
1,612 residents
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White90%
8,498 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.3%
311 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3%
288 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh2.7%
257 residents
Other ethnic group1%
93 residents
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above27.3%
2,090 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications19%
1,456 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.1%
1,391 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15%
1,147 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.8%
903 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.2%
472 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.7%
209 residents aged 16 and over
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60.2%
4,615 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive36.8%
2,823 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3%
228 residents aged 16 and over
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.7%
1,513 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.7%
1,129 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.1%
925 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.8%
904 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.5%
884 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.3%
715 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students7.6%
586 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7%
537 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.2%
475 residents aged 16 and over
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45%
4,246 residents
Good health35.6%
3,366 residents
Fair health14.4%
1,362 residents
Bad health3.9%
366 residents
Very bad health1.1%
105 residents
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.5%
7,607 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.5%
1,838 residents
Old Heath & Rowhedge · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension45.5%
1,922 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.2%
1,445 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions16.1%
679 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.9%
166 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
16 households
Old Heath & Rowhedge · 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.