Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004952

Poplars

Poplars is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,885 residents in Stevenage. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

6,885

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,759

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,087.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

62.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.1%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

28.1%

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.

Warners End, Dacorum6,771 residents · 55.4% owned · 16.7% no carBrighton Hill, Basingstoke and Deane7,446 residents · 54.5% owned · 19.8% no carHanworth West, Bracknell Forest6,722 residents · 65.2% owned · 13.8% no carBirch Hill & Hanworth East, Bracknell Forest7,439 residents · 63.0% owned · 14.4% no carIfield & Gossops Green, Crawley8,396 residents · 65.0% owned · 16.9% no carSandy North, Central Bedfordshire5,749 residents · 65.3% owned · 13.2% no car

Most similar within Stevenage

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Broadwater & Bragbury End, Stevenage6,020 residents · 66.9% owned · 15.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Poplars

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

Tenure

Owned62.3%
1,720 households
Social rented24%
662 households
Private rented13%
360 households
Shared ownership0.5%
13 households
Lives rent free0.1%
4 households
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced50.3%
1,389 households
Semi-detached20.7%
572 households
Detached15.2%
420 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement12.8%
355 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.9%
26 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0%
1 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0%
1 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household38.5%
1,065 households
2 cars or vans in household32.9%
910 households
No cars or vans in household17.1%
473 households
3 or more cars or vans in household11.4%
316 households
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms46.4%
1,283 households
2 bedrooms20.7%
571 households
4 or more bedrooms17.4%
482 households
1 bedroom15.5%
428 households
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household67.3%
1,861 households
One-person household27.6%
763 households
Other household types5.1%
142 households
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household31.4%
869 households
1 person in household27.6%
763 households
3 people in household18.1%
501 households
4 people in household15.3%
424 households
5 people in household5%
139 households
6 people in household1.7%
47 households
7 people in household0.5%
14 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
7 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1518.8%
1,297 residents
15–2917.3%
1,193 residents
30–4421%
1,447 residents
45–6427.9%
1,919 residents
65 and over14.9%
1,028 residents
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White85.4%
5,879 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh5.3%
368 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.9%
340 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.1%
216 residents
Other ethnic group1.2%
84 residents
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above28.1%
1,547 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.1%
1,000 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.8%
925 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.4%
851 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications13.9%
765 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.1%
282 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.6%
141 residents aged 16 and over
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)64.7%
3,566 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive32.9%
1,815 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.3%
128 residents aged 16 and over
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.5%
1,127 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations13.9%
767 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations13.6%
750 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.2%
670 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations11.7%
643 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.3%
566 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.3%
348 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6%
333 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.5%
303 residents aged 16 and over
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47.2%
3,248 residents
Good health35.7%
2,458 residents
Fair health12.4%
853 residents
Bad health3.8%
259 residents
Very bad health1%
67 residents
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.3%
5,668 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.7%
1,217 residents
Poplars · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension46.8%
1,293 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.8%
935 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15.1%
418 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.9%
108 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
10 households
Poplars · 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 Stevenage

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.