Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004571

Rayleigh South East

Rayleigh South East is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,816 residents in Rochford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

7,816

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,182

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,682.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

90.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

11.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

24.3%

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.

Thundersley Glen, Castle Point8,079 residents · 89.4% owned · 9.7% no carBenfleet Appleton, Castle Point6,626 residents · 85.8% owned · 12.1% no carLoose Valley & Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone9,052 residents · 80.5% owned · 9.9% no carRainham South West, Medway5,972 residents · 90.0% owned · 9.6% no carBearsted & Downswood, Maidstone8,032 residents · 82.1% owned · 8.9% no carAllington, Maidstone9,752 residents · 85.9% owned · 11.3% no car

Most similar within Rochford

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Rayleigh North East, Rochford8,125 residents · 88.7% owned · 10.6% no carHockley North & West, Rochford7,507 residents · 90.8% owned · 8.9% no carHockley South & Hawkwell West, Rochford7,919 residents · 82.8% owned · 13.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Rayleigh South East

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

Tenure

Owned90.5%
2,879 households
Private rented7.5%
240 households
Social rented1.7%
55 households
Shared ownership0.3%
8 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached52.1%
1,660 households
Detached36%
1,147 households
Terraced5.4%
173 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement4.8%
153 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.6%
19 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.6%
19 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.3%
9 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household37.2%
1,185 households
2 cars or vans in household36%
1,145 households
3 or more cars or vans in household15.7%
500 households
No cars or vans in household11.1%
352 households
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms42.7%
1,358 households
4 or more bedrooms33.7%
1,072 households
2 bedrooms20.6%
656 households
1 bedroom3%
97 households
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household73.7%
2,347 households
One-person household22.4%
712 households
Other household types3.9%
124 households
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household38.7%
1,232 households
1 person in household22.4%
712 households
4 people in household17.1%
543 households
3 people in household16.6%
528 households
5 people in household4.2%
133 households
6 people in household0.9%
29 households
7 people in household0.1%
4 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.4%
1,284 residents
15–2913.9%
1,085 residents
30–4415.7%
1,224 residents
45–6427.6%
2,157 residents
65 and over26.4%
2,066 residents
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.2%
7,522 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.6%
122 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.5%
118 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.4%
31 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
24 residents
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above24.3%
1,567 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.6%
1,195 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.8%
1,144 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications17.4%
1,118 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.3%
793 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.4%
412 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.3%
210 residents aged 16 and over
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.2%
3,617 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.6%
2,740 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.3%
81 residents aged 16 and over
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.1%
1,488 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations17%
1,095 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations15.3%
985 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers12.1%
778 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.5%
676 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations7.6%
492 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.3%
342 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5%
322 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.1%
263 residents aged 16 and over
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health50.2%
3,923 residents
Good health35.2%
2,750 residents
Fair health11.1%
869 residents
Bad health2.7%
212 residents
Very bad health0.8%
60 residents
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86%
6,724 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14%
1,093 residents
Rayleigh South East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension53%
1,688 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.4%
1,094 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.6%
369 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions0.9%
30 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
1 households
Rayleigh South East · 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 Rochford

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.