Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005169

Tunbridge Wells Central

Tunbridge Wells Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,097 residents in Tunbridge Wells. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

9,097

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,634

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

6,631.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

40.1%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

30.4%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

48.5%

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.

Surbiton South, Kingston upon Thames7,954 residents · 42.1% owned · 37.2% no carPittville & Fairview, Cheltenham9,545 residents · 54.3% owned · 23.5% no carCentral Harrogate, Harrogate9,212 residents · 46.1% owned · 28.2% no carBrentwood Central, Brentwood11,765 residents · 54.7% owned · 24.1% no carCastle & Kingsway, Bedford10,648 residents · 38.8% owned · 36.7% no carSurbiton North, Kingston upon Thames7,199 residents · 43.9% owned · 40.1% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Tunbridge Wells Central

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

Tenure

Private rented47.4%
2,197 households
Owned40.1%
1,859 households
Social rented11.4%
529 households
Shared ownership1%
48 households
Lives rent free0%
1 households
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement40.4%
1,872 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits22.1%
1,025 households
Terraced14%
649 households
Semi-detached10%
464 households
Detached5.2%
241 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse5.2%
241 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop3%
140 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
2 households
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household51.2%
2,375 households
No cars or vans in household30.4%
1,411 households
2 cars or vans in household15.5%
720 households
3 or more cars or vans in household2.8%
130 households
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms37.9%
1,757 households
1 bedroom35.9%
1,665 households
3 bedrooms15.3%
711 households
4 or more bedrooms10.8%
503 households
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household50.2%
2,326 households
One-person household44.2%
2,051 households
Other household types5.6%
259 households
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household44.3%
2,051 households
2 people in household31.2%
1,447 households
3 people in household13%
601 households
4 people in household8.8%
408 households
5 people in household2.1%
97 households
6 people in household0.6%
27 households
7 people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
8 or more people in household0%
0 households
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1515.5%
1,410 residents
15–2920%
1,815 residents
30–4428.4%
2,579 residents
45–6424.2%
2,198 residents
65 and over12%
1,093 residents
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White81.9%
7,453 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh9.8%
895 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.6%
326 residents
Other ethnic group2.6%
236 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.1%
188 residents
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above48.5%
3,692 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications14.6%
1,109 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.3%
939 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications11.3%
859 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.4%
561 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.2%
242 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.8%
217 residents aged 16 and over
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)71.4%
5,442 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive27.1%
2,069 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
111 residents aged 16 and over
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations24.7%
1,885 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.5%
1,486 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.4%
866 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11%
837 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations9.7%
738 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations9.1%
694 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed5.8%
443 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.6%
347 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.3%
329 residents aged 16 and over
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health53.7%
4,886 residents
Good health32.9%
2,990 residents
Fair health10.1%
918 residents
Bad health2.7%
246 residents
Very bad health0.6%
57 residents
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.4%
7,861 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.6%
1,236 residents
Tunbridge Wells Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension54.2%
2,515 households
Household is deprived in one dimension30.8%
1,429 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.9%
550 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.8%
131 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
11 households
Tunbridge Wells 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 Tunbridge Wells

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.