Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005266

St Matthew's

St Matthew's is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,984 residents in Preston. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,984

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,395

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

7,467.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

35.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

45.2%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

20.5%

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.

Fernhill & Pimhole, Bury11,350 residents · 43.8% owned · 39.1% no carTunstall, Stoke-on-Trent7,457 residents · 46.0% owned · 38.1% no carStoke Heath, Coventry8,535 residents · 45.4% owned · 35.6% no carNelson East, Pendle10,466 residents · 46.2% owned · 40.3% no carBarton, Gloucester8,614 residents · 45.6% owned · 35.8% no carCobridge & Central Forest, Stoke-on-Trent7,296 residents · 47.3% owned · 34.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in St Matthew's

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

Tenure

Owned35.3%
1,198 households
Private rented33.1%
1,124 households
Social rented30.9%
1,048 households
Shared ownership0.6%
22 households
Lives rent free0.1%
3 households
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced53.7%
1,823 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement18.9%
641 households
Semi-detached17.2%
585 households
Detached4.1%
140 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse3.1%
106 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.6%
55 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.2%
40 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
2 households
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household45.2%
1,532 households
1 car or van in household40.7%
1,380 households
2 cars or vans in household12%
408 households
3 or more cars or vans in household2.1%
72 households
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms42.7%
1,450 households
3 bedrooms35.8%
1,215 households
1 bedroom14.1%
478 households
4 or more bedrooms7.3%
249 households
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household57.1%
1,937 households
One-person household34%
1,152 households
Other household types8.9%
302 households
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household34%
1,152 households
2 people in household24.4%
827 households
3 people in household17.6%
597 households
4 people in household12%
406 households
5 people in household7.5%
256 households
6 people in household2.6%
88 households
7 people in household1.2%
41 households
8 or more people in household0.7%
24 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1523.7%
2,134 residents
15–2923.7%
2,131 residents
30–4425.1%
2,260 residents
45–6419.4%
1,746 residents
65 and over8%
716 residents
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White57.5%
5,164 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh33.5%
3,010 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.8%
341 residents
Other ethnic group2.9%
263 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African2.3%
206 residents
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications29.8%
2,011 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above20.5%
1,386 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications13.3%
894 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications13%
878 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.7%
860 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.8%
389 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications4.9%
329 residents aged 16 and over
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)54.5%
3,676 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive42.2%
2,846 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student3.3%
225 residents aged 16 and over
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations25.3%
1,710 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed16.9%
1,140 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.2%
960 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.8%
662 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students8.9%
602 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.9%
598 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers6.6%
448 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.4%
365 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations3.9%
265 residents aged 16 and over
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health47.3%
4,253 residents
Good health32.8%
2,944 residents
Fair health13.6%
1,222 residents
Bad health4.9%
437 residents
Very bad health1.4%
128 residents
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act81.7%
7,336 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act18.3%
1,648 residents
St Matthew's · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension36.7%
1,246 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension33.5%
1,135 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions21.3%
723 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions8%
272 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.5%
16 households
St Matthew's · 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 Preston

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.