Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005000

Ashford Central

Ashford Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 12,105 residents in Ashford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

12,105

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,958

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,418.5

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

45.1%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

28.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

29.1%

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.

Swanscombe, Dartford8,138 residents · 50.4% owned · 20.0% no carSouthgate, Crawley10,355 residents · 49.9% owned · 27.6% no carHemel Hempstead Town, Dacorum11,615 residents · 49.9% owned · 22.9% no carStornton & Sixfields, West Northamptonshire7,761 residents · 50.1% owned · 26.9% no carDunstable Central, Central Bedfordshire10,506 residents · 59.7% owned · 21.7% no carFletton, Peterborough10,266 residents · 47.0% owned · 27.5% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Ashford Central

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

Tenure

Owned45.1%
2,234 households
Private rented32.6%
1,618 households
Social rented20.5%
1,015 households
Shared ownership1.5%
73 households
Lives rent free0.4%
18 households
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced35.2%
1,748 households
Semi-detached27%
1,341 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement24%
1,191 households
Detached6.7%
332 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits3.1%
155 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.1%
105 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.8%
87 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
4 households
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household44.9%
2,230 households
No cars or vans in household28.4%
1,409 households
2 cars or vans in household20.1%
998 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.6%
326 households
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms39%
1,937 households
2 bedrooms31.9%
1,583 households
1 bedroom17.5%
869 households
4 or more bedrooms11.6%
574 households
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household59.5%
2,952 households
One-person household31.3%
1,551 households
Other household types9.2%
458 households
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household31.3%
1,551 households
2 people in household30.5%
1,513 households
3 people in household17.1%
850 households
4 people in household13.3%
662 households
5 people in household4.7%
234 households
6 people in household2%
101 households
7 people in household0.6%
32 households
8 or more people in household0.4%
20 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.3%
2,338 residents
15–2922%
2,664 residents
30–4424.1%
2,915 residents
45–6422.7%
2,749 residents
65 and over11.9%
1,439 residents
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White77.2%
9,341 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh12.2%
1,477 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African4.9%
590 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3%
365 residents
Other ethnic group2.7%
332 residents
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above29.1%
2,804 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.6%
1,789 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16%
1,537 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.9%
1,532 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12%
1,161 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.1%
493 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.3%
320 residents aged 16 and over
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)65.4%
6,305 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive32.4%
3,121 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.2%
213 residents aged 16 and over
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations18.9%
1,821 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.8%
1,427 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations13.8%
1,327 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.5%
1,111 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.1%
973 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed9.1%
877 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.5%
821 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations7%
678 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.3%
604 residents aged 16 and over
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.1%
5,821 residents
Good health34.5%
4,173 residents
Fair health12.8%
1,549 residents
Bad health3.7%
447 residents
Very bad health0.9%
113 residents
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act83.2%
10,070 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act16.8%
2,035 residents
Ashford Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension46.5%
2,305 households
Household is deprived in one dimension33.2%
1,646 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions15.9%
790 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4%
199 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.4%
22 households
Ashford Central · 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 Ashford

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.