Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004920

Hitchin Town & West

Hitchin Town & West is a Census neighbourhood of about 11,485 residents in North Hertfordshire. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

11,485

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,042

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,741.1

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

63.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

21.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

44.1%

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.

Saffron Walden Town, Uttlesford13,129 residents · 62.2% owned · 16.4% no carSaltaire & Baildon West, Bradford9,094 residents · 73.0% owned · 21.3% no carChristchurch Park, Ipswich8,388 residents · 65.2% owned · 21.3% no carPetersfield South, East Hampshire9,622 residents · 60.1% owned · 19.1% no carWelwyn Garden City Central & Handside, Welwyn Hatfield6,932 residents · 64.3% owned · 22.4% no carHandforth & Dean Row, Cheshire East11,452 residents · 59.3% owned · 20.7% no car

Most similar within North Hertfordshire

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Baldock, North Hertfordshire10,617 residents · 65.7% owned · 15.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Hitchin Town & West

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

Tenure

Owned63.3%
3,193 households
Social rented20.5%
1,035 households
Private rented15.3%
772 households
Shared ownership0.8%
39 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached27.9%
1,407 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement26.4%
1,331 households
Detached24.5%
1,237 households
Terraced15.6%
788 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.5%
76 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.4%
70 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure1.4%
69 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.3%
65 households
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.4%
2,238 households
2 cars or vans in household26.2%
1,322 households
No cars or vans in household21.6%
1,087 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.9%
397 households
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms34%
1,713 households
2 bedrooms28.4%
1,435 households
4 or more bedrooms22.7%
1,146 households
1 bedroom14.9%
751 households
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household62.6%
3,156 households
One-person household33.8%
1,707 households
Other household types3.6%
182 households
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household33.9%
1,710 households
1 person in household33.8%
1,707 households
3 people in household14.1%
711 households
4 people in household13.3%
672 households
5 people in household3.6%
182 households
6 people in household1%
50 households
7 people in household0.1%
7 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.5%
2,015 residents
15–2915%
1,722 residents
30–4419%
2,178 residents
45–6427.3%
3,133 residents
65 and over21.2%
2,438 residents
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White86.6%
9,942 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh4.8%
547 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.3%
497 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3%
346 residents
Other ethnic group1.3%
151 residents
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above44.1%
4,125 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications14.8%
1,383 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications14%
1,307 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.5%
1,172 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.4%
785 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.8%
355 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.4%
226 residents aged 16 and over
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60%
5,612 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive38.5%
3,598 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
141 residents aged 16 and over
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.2%
2,266 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.2%
1,981 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.5%
1,075 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10%
933 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.5%
889 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.1%
762 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.1%
572 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5%
468 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.3%
406 residents aged 16 and over
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health50.2%
5,769 residents
Good health33.5%
3,848 residents
Fair health12.2%
1,401 residents
Bad health3.2%
370 residents
Very bad health0.8%
96 residents
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.4%
9,468 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.6%
2,017 residents
Hitchin Town & West · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension53.7%
2,708 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32%
1,614 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions12%
605 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.2%
110 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
7 households
Hitchin Town & West · 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 North Hertfordshire

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.