Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005170

Ferndale & Hawkenbury

Ferndale & Hawkenbury is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,847 residents in Tunbridge Wells. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

9,847

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,137

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,233.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

67.0%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

17.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

46.8%

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.

Hertford Bengeo, East Hertfordshire7,898 residents · 73.5% owned · 13.3% no carBuckhurst Hill, Epping Forest11,752 residents · 72.2% owned · 15.6% no carBishop's Stortford North, East Hertfordshire6,867 residents · 65.0% owned · 20.2% no carEpping South, Epping Forest6,415 residents · 66.9% owned · 14.1% no carSevenoaks North, Sevenoaks9,853 residents · 60.6% owned · 15.1% no carTonbridge South & Haysden, Tonbridge and Malling8,602 residents · 64.1% owned · 16.5% no car

Most similar within Tunbridge Wells

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Tunbridge Wells West, Tunbridge Wells7,572 residents · 71.0% owned · 16.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Ferndale & Hawkenbury

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

Tenure

Owned67%
2,773 households
Private rented22%
911 households
Social rented10.1%
416 households
Shared ownership0.9%
37 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached28.4%
1,175 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement23.5%
971 households
Terraced21%
868 households
Detached19.8%
818 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits5.5%
226 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse1.1%
45 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.7%
30 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household50.4%
2,086 households
2 cars or vans in household26%
1,077 households
No cars or vans in household17%
703 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.6%
271 households
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms31.6%
1,306 households
3 bedrooms29.2%
1,208 households
4 or more bedrooms24.8%
1,024 households
1 bedroom14.5%
599 households
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household67%
2,772 households
One-person household29.4%
1,217 households
Other household types3.6%
149 households
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household33.6%
1,390 households
1 person in household29.4%
1,217 households
3 people in household17.1%
709 households
4 people in household15.4%
636 households
5 people in household3.8%
158 households
6 people in household0.5%
19 households
7 people in household0.1%
6 households
8 or more people in household0%
2 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1519.5%
1,925 residents
15–2914.3%
1,405 residents
30–4422.1%
2,180 residents
45–6425.7%
2,533 residents
65 and over18.3%
1,806 residents
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White90.4%
8,899 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh3.9%
382 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.3%
325 residents
Other ethnic group1.4%
133 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African1.1%
108 residents
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above46.8%
3,656 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications14.9%
1,167 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications12.9%
1,010 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications11.1%
864 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.4%
578 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.7%
286 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.2%
249 residents aged 16 and over
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)63.9%
4,997 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive34.6%
2,707 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.4%
110 residents aged 16 and over
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations25.7%
2,008 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.4%
1,674 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.2%
954 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers11.5%
902 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations8.5%
665 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations7.1%
557 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students5.1%
397 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.7%
368 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.7%
287 residents aged 16 and over
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health55.3%
5,446 residents
Good health31.9%
3,138 residents
Fair health10%
981 residents
Bad health2.2%
215 residents
Very bad health0.7%
67 residents
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86%
8,466 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14%
1,381 residents
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension59.3%
2,452 households
Household is deprived in one dimension29.6%
1,222 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions9.1%
375 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions1.8%
76 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
10 households
Ferndale & Hawkenbury · 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.