Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004976

Central Watford

Central Watford is a Census neighbourhood of about 11,413 residents in Watford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

11,413

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,149

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,938.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

31.6%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

42.9%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

46.0%

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.

Sutton Central, Sutton11,581 residents · 39.7% owned · 41.1% no carSouth End & St Peter's Road, Croydon7,161 residents · 36.6% owned · 47.7% no carCentral Reading North, Reading7,076 residents · 20.2% owned · 56.0% no carCentral Romford, Havering9,363 residents · 41.9% owned · 44.6% no carAddiscombe West, Croydon11,826 residents · 37.2% owned · 50.7% no carCastle & Kingsway, Bedford10,648 residents · 38.8% owned · 36.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Central Watford

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

Tenure

Private rented51.8%
2,665 households
Owned31.6%
1,627 households
Social rented14.8%
761 households
Shared ownership1.8%
95 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement47.4%
2,440 households
Terraced23.7%
1,220 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits12.8%
659 households
Semi-detached8.5%
436 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop3%
157 households
Detached3%
154 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.6%
83 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
2 households
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.2%
2,226 households
No cars or vans in household42.9%
2,211 households
2 cars or vans in household12.2%
629 households
3 or more cars or vans in household1.6%
84 households
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom38.3%
1,973 households
2 bedrooms37.3%
1,923 households
3 bedrooms13.4%
688 households
4 or more bedrooms11%
566 households
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household51.3%
2,642 households
One-person household38.8%
2,000 households
Other household types9.9%
508 households
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household38.8%
2,000 households
2 people in household29.9%
1,538 households
3 people in household15.5%
800 households
4 people in household10%
517 households
5 people in household3.3%
172 households
6 people in household1.4%
71 households
7 people in household0.6%
29 households
8 or more people in household0.4%
23 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1517.4%
1,990 residents
15–2920.8%
2,376 residents
30–4434.1%
3,893 residents
45–6420.4%
2,327 residents
65 and over7.3%
828 residents
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White59.8%
6,819 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh23.7%
2,699 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African6.9%
790 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups5%
576 residents
Other ethnic group4.6%
524 residents
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above46%
4,296 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications15.7%
1,470 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.6%
1,181 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications10.4%
970 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8%
749 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship4.1%
379 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.2%
302 residents aged 16 and over
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)72.1%
6,735 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive24.9%
2,331 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3%
279 residents aged 16 and over
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.3%
2,084 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations14.1%
1,317 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations11.4%
1,068 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.8%
1,006 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.5%
981 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations10.4%
968 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed9.1%
854 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.2%
581 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.2%
486 residents aged 16 and over
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health52.6%
6,004 residents
Good health33.4%
3,812 residents
Fair health10.3%
1,175 residents
Bad health2.9%
328 residents
Very bad health0.8%
95 residents
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act87.8%
10,022 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act12.2%
1,394 residents
Central Watford · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension45.3%
2,335 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.7%
1,840 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.7%
758 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.8%
198 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
18 households
Central Watford · 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 Watford

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.