Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004924

Harpenden North

Harpenden North is a Census neighbourhood of about 7,730 residents in St Albans. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

7,730

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,868

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,341.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

80.8%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

9.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

60.7%

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.

Hinchley Wood & Weston Green, Elmbridge9,173 residents · 85.4% owned · 7.6% no carHale, Trafford8,153 residents · 81.7% owned · 8.7% no carClaygate, Elmbridge7,263 residents · 80.2% owned · 9.3% no carChorleywood, Three Rivers5,710 residents · 79.3% owned · 9.4% no carSevenoaks West & Chevening, Sevenoaks9,640 residents · 82.9% owned · 5.6% no carCaversham Heights, Reading7,752 residents · 90.2% owned · 7.5% no car

Most similar within St Albans

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Bernards Heath, St Albans6,943 residents · 84.5% owned · 8.5% no carHarpenden Common, St Albans6,871 residents · 86.0% owned · 7.0% no carHarpenden East, St Albans7,878 residents · 71.7% owned · 11.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Harpenden North

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

Tenure

Owned80.8%
2,318 households
Private rented11.3%
325 households
Social rented7.4%
213 households
Shared ownership0.3%
10 households
Lives rent free0.1%
2 households
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached41.6%
1,195 households
Semi-detached30.2%
867 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement13.2%
380 households
Terraced12.5%
358 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2%
56 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%
10 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.1%
4 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household40.1%
1,151 households
2 cars or vans in household38.2%
1,097 households
3 or more cars or vans in household12.2%
349 households
No cars or vans in household9.4%
271 households
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

4 or more bedrooms50.7%
1,454 households
3 bedrooms27.1%
776 households
2 bedrooms16.1%
461 households
1 bedroom6.2%
177 households
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household75.7%
2,173 households
One-person household20.9%
599 households
Other household types3.4%
98 households
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household30.7%
880 households
4 people in household23%
661 households
1 person in household20.9%
599 households
3 people in household17%
489 households
5 people in household6.8%
196 households
6 people in household1.2%
35 households
7 people in household0.2%
7 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1523.8%
1,836 residents
15–2912.8%
987 residents
30–4418.4%
1,424 residents
45–6429.3%
2,265 residents
65 and over15.7%
1,217 residents
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White88.3%
6,828 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh5%
390 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.7%
289 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.6%
125 residents
Other ethnic group1.3%
99 residents
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above60.7%
3,510 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.1%
698 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications10.9%
630 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications6.9%
399 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications5.2%
299 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.5%
143 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications1.8%
103 residents aged 16 and over
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63.9%
3,696 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive34.5%
1,993 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.6%
93 residents aged 16 and over
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations32.1%
1,853 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations26.9%
1,555 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.8%
566 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.7%
559 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.5%
376 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations5.4%
314 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations4.3%
247 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed3.2%
186 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations2.1%
122 residents aged 16 and over
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health63.6%
4,917 residents
Good health26.9%
2,082 residents
Fair health7%
544 residents
Bad health1.9%
148 residents
Very bad health0.5%
39 residents
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act89.1%
6,889 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act10.9%
841 residents
Harpenden North · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension65.3%
1,873 households
Household is deprived in one dimension27.2%
780 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions6.6%
190 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions0.9%
25 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0%
0 households
Harpenden North · 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 St Albans

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.