Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005269

Preston Town Centre

Preston Town Centre is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,382 residents in Preston. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

10,382

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,731

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,766.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

26.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

53.3%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

36.6%

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.

Sunderland Central & Deptford, Sunderland8,544 residents · 30.7% owned · 51.8% no carCathedral Quarter & California, Derby12,267 residents · 21.1% owned · 49.3% no carAdamsdown, Cardiff11,609 residents · 30.1% owned · 48.1% no carEdgerton & Marsh, Kirklees6,535 residents · 44.6% owned · 38.5% no carWolverhampton Central, Wolverhampton11,532 residents · 29.1% owned · 48.7% no carSt Denys, Southampton7,923 residents · 33.8% owned · 33.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Preston Town Centre

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

Tenure

Private rented48.3%
2,286 households
Owned26.3%
1,242 households
Social rented24.5%
1,159 households
Shared ownership0.7%
34 households
Lives rent free0.2%
10 households
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement42%
1,988 households
Terraced30.8%
1,457 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits9.5%
449 households
Semi-detached9.3%
439 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse3.1%
149 households
Detached2.8%
132 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.4%
112 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
7 households
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household53.3%
2,520 households
1 car or van in household35.4%
1,673 households
2 cars or vans in household9.1%
429 households
3 or more cars or vans in household2.3%
110 households
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms35%
1,656 households
1 bedroom30.8%
1,459 households
3 bedrooms22.8%
1,078 households
4 or more bedrooms11.4%
539 households
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household48%
2,273 households
Single family household41.1%
1,944 households
Other household types10.9%
515 households
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household48%
2,273 households
2 people in household27.7%
1,313 households
3 people in household10.7%
505 households
4 people in household6.7%
317 households
5 people in household3.6%
171 households
6 people in household2%
96 households
8 or more people in household0.7%
31 households
7 people in household0.6%
27 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1512.4%
1,291 residents
15–2937.6%
3,904 residents
30–4421.5%
2,228 residents
45–6419.7%
2,041 residents
65 and over8.8%
917 residents
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White59.9%
6,222 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh27%
2,804 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African5.3%
549 residents
Other ethnic group4%
418 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups3.7%
389 residents
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above36.6%
3,297 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications20.1%
1,814 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications17.9%
1,614 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications10.8%
972 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications7.5%
678 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship3.7%
332 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3.4%
307 residents aged 16 and over
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)50.1%
4,519 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive40.4%
3,639 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student9.5%
853 residents aged 16 and over
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L15 Full-time students23.9%
2,150 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14.8%
1,330 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.2%
1,194 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed11.3%
1,021 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations10.6%
952 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations9.3%
836 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations7.9%
711 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers5%
453 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.1%
367 residents aged 16 and over
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health46.7%
4,847 residents
Good health33.9%
3,521 residents
Fair health13.2%
1,371 residents
Bad health4.6%
479 residents
Very bad health1.6%
164 residents
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.6%
8,373 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.4%
2,009 residents
Preston Town Centre · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension41.2%
1,947 households
Household is deprived in one dimension34.8%
1,645 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions17.2%
812 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions6.3%
298 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.6%
29 households
Preston Town Centre · 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.