Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02004985

Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside

Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,932 residents in Welwyn Hatfield. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

6,932

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,100

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,930.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

64.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

22.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

47.6%

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.

Hitchin Town & West, North Hertfordshire11,485 residents · 63.3% owned · 21.6% no carSaltaire & Baildon West, Bradford9,094 residents · 73.0% owned · 21.3% no carLetchworth South West, North Hertfordshire7,416 residents · 68.4% owned · 16.7% no carFour Oaks, Birmingham7,142 residents · 76.3% owned · 16.1% no carCentral Havant & Langstone, Havant10,315 residents · 70.9% owned · 18.2% no carSaffron Walden Town, Uttlesford13,129 residents · 62.2% owned · 16.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside

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

Tenure

Owned64.3%
1,992 households
Social rented22.9%
711 households
Private rented12%
371 households
Shared ownership0.6%
18 households
Lives rent free0.3%
8 households
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached28.6%
885 households
Terraced27.2%
843 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement24%
744 households
Detached15.6%
484 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.6%
79 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.3%
41 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.7%
21 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
1 households
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.1%
1,335 households
2 cars or vans in household26.3%
814 households
No cars or vans in household22.4%
695 households
3 or more cars or vans in household8.2%
254 households
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms40%
1,240 households
4 or more bedrooms24.5%
758 households
1 bedroom18.3%
566 households
2 bedrooms17.2%
534 households
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household61.2%
1,897 households
One-person household35.2%
1,091 households
Other household types3.6%
111 households
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household35.2%
1,091 households
2 people in household32%
992 households
4 people in household15%
465 households
3 people in household13.4%
414 households
5 people in household3.6%
110 households
6 people in household0.6%
18 households
7 people in household0.1%
4 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516%
1,112 residents
15–2913.9%
966 residents
30–4417.6%
1,220 residents
45–6427.2%
1,884 residents
65 and over25.2%
1,749 residents
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White87.1%
6,039 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh5.7%
397 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.7%
255 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.2%
151 residents
Other ethnic group1.3%
91 residents
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above47.6%
2,737 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications14.4%
826 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.2%
703 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications12.2%
699 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications8.1%
463 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.4%
197 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.2%
126 residents aged 16 and over
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.8%
3,267 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive41.4%
2,382 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.8%
101 residents aged 16 and over
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations25.6%
1,471 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations23.2%
1,334 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.9%
741 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.6%
496 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8.5%
490 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.1%
351 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.8%
334 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.4%
311 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.8%
221 residents aged 16 and over
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health49.6%
3,438 residents
Good health33.5%
2,325 residents
Fair health12.3%
851 residents
Bad health3.7%
258 residents
Very bad health0.9%
62 residents
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.1%
5,690 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.9%
1,244 residents
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension52.7%
1,633 households
Household is deprived in one dimension32.8%
1,017 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.8%
366 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.4%
73 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
7 households
Welwyn Garden City Central & Handside · 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 Welwyn Hatfield

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.