Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005006

Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden

Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,208 residents in Ashford. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

6,208

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,502

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

93.9

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

77.9%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

6.6%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

30.2%

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.

Langtoft, Thurlby & Uffington, South Kesteven9,788 residents · 83.5% owned · 5.6% no carYalding & Farleigh, Maidstone6,970 residents · 78.2% owned · 9.5% no carPilling, Great Eccleston & Inskip, Wyre6,709 residents · 80.5% owned · 5.5% no carHarrietsham, Hollingbourne & Lenham, Maidstone9,764 residents · 75.5% owned · 8.7% no carTedburn, Shillingford & Higher Ashton, Teignbridge5,487 residents · 80.1% owned · 7.8% no carRettendon & Runwell, Chelmsford6,508 residents · 83.5% owned · 9.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden

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

Tenure

Owned77.9%
1,948 households
Private rented10.8%
269 households
Social rented10.2%
255 households
Shared ownership1.2%
30 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Detached49.7%
1,244 households
Semi-detached24.6%
614 households
Terraced12.5%
312 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure9.7%
242 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement2.2%
56 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.5%
12 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.4%
11 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.4%
10 households
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household34.9%
873 households
2 cars or vans in household34.9%
872 households
3 or more cars or vans in household23.7%
593 households
No cars or vans in household6.6%
164 households
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms35.5%
887 households
4 or more bedrooms34.9%
872 households
2 bedrooms24.6%
614 households
1 bedroom5.1%
127 households
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household71.7%
1,792 households
One-person household22.7%
568 households
Other household types5.6%
141 households
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household41%
1,026 households
1 person in household22.7%
568 households
3 people in household16.1%
402 households
4 people in household13.3%
332 households
5 people in household4.6%
116 households
6 people in household1.6%
39 households
7 people in household0.5%
13 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
6 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.9%
987 residents
15–2913.2%
818 residents
30–4413%
807 residents
45–6431.4%
1,947 residents
65 and over26.6%
1,649 residents
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.7%
6,007 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.4%
87 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.1%
67 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.5%
30 residents
Other ethnic group0.3%
18 residents
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above30.2%
1,557 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications18.3%
941 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.4%
843 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.2%
781 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.7%
550 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.2%
320 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.1%
161 residents aged 16 and over
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)54.3%
2,797 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive44.5%
2,296 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
62 residents aged 16 and over
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.1%
1,085 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers18.9%
975 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations15%
774 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.5%
593 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.1%
468 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.7%
448 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.7%
345 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.7%
242 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.3%
223 residents aged 16 and over
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health48.4%
3,003 residents
Good health33.8%
2,097 residents
Fair health13.1%
812 residents
Bad health3.6%
226 residents
Very bad health1.1%
70 residents
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act82.9%
5,147 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act17.1%
1,061 residents
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension51.3%
1,284 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.9%
899 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions10.8%
270 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.8%
46 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
3 households
Biddenden, Smarden & High Halden · 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.