Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004926

Harpenden Town

Harpenden Town is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,100 residents in St Albans. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,100

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,293

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,610.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

74.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

12.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

66.0%

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.

Oatlands, Elmbridge6,697 residents · 75.7% owned · 9.5% no carReigate Central & Redhill Common, Reigate and Banstead8,378 residents · 69.6% owned · 13.6% no carAmersham-on-the-Hill & Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire10,564 residents · 71.5% owned · 12.6% no carBurpham, Boxgrove & Merrow West, Guildford9,619 residents · 77.9% owned · 9.2% no carThames Ditton, Elmbridge6,608 residents · 78.2% owned · 9.4% no carChislehurst West & Elmstead, Bromley10,755 residents · 80.7% owned · 11.2% no car

Most similar within St Albans

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Verulam Park, St Albans7,292 residents · 80.5% owned · 11.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Harpenden Town

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

Tenure

Owned74.5%
2,453 households
Private rented20.2%
665 households
Social rented4.9%
162 households
Shared ownership0.4%
13 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached34%
1,121 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement25.5%
840 households
Semi-detached23.9%
788 households
Terraced11%
364 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits2.3%
75 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.1%
69 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.2%
39 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.9%
1,513 households
2 cars or vans in household31.9%
1,051 households
No cars or vans in household12.9%
424 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9.3%
306 households
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

4 or more bedrooms45.3%
1,492 households
2 bedrooms24.3%
801 households
3 bedrooms21.6%
713 households
1 bedroom8.8%
290 households
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household69.1%
2,273 households
One-person household27.7%
913 households
Other household types3.2%
105 households
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household32.2%
1,062 households
1 person in household27.7%
914 households
4 people in household18.7%
616 households
3 people in household15.3%
504 households
5 people in household5.1%
168 households
6 people in household0.9%
28 households
7 people in household0%
1 households
8 or more people in household0%
1 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1521.4%
1,730 residents
15–2911.8%
956 residents
30–4417.3%
1,401 residents
45–6429.6%
2,394 residents
65 and over20%
1,620 residents
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White89.1%
7,214 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh4.5%
366 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.8%
308 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.3%
109 residents
Other ethnic group1.2%
100 residents
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above66%
4,132 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications10.3%
647 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications9.5%
592 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications6.1%
382 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications3.9%
244 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.2%
138 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2%
123 residents aged 16 and over
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)60%
3,754 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive38.5%
2,408 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
94 residents aged 16 and over
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations35%
2,188 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations26.6%
1,666 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers9.8%
616 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.8%
612 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6%
375 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations4.6%
290 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed3.6%
223 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations2.7%
170 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations1.9%
116 residents aged 16 and over
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health62%
5,019 residents
Good health28.7%
2,322 residents
Fair health7.4%
603 residents
Bad health1.5%
119 residents
Very bad health0.5%
38 residents
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act89.1%
7,214 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act10.9%
887 residents
Harpenden Town · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension68.3%
2,249 households
Household is deprived in one dimension26.5%
873 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions4.4%
145 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions0.7%
24 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
3 households
Harpenden Town · 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.