Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02005518

Thetford Central & East

Thetford Central & East is a Census neighbourhood of about 10,691 residents in Breckland. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

10,691

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,532

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,920.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

63.1%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

16.4%

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.

Spalding North, South Holland12,931 residents · 61.1% owned · 19.5% no carEvesham South, Wychavon5,791 residents · 56.7% owned · 16.5% no carHaverhill East & South, West Suffolk11,154 residents · 57.4% owned · 20.7% no carKempston Central & East, Bedford6,207 residents · 63.4% owned · 19.6% no carSt Neots Eynesbury, Huntingdonshire10,541 residents · 65.2% owned · 15.6% no carBicester East, Cherwell7,715 residents · 67.7% owned · 15.0% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Thetford Central & East

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

Tenure

Owned63.1%
2,858 households
Private rented29.9%
1,353 households
Social rented6%
273 households
Shared ownership1.1%
48 households
Lives rent free0%
0 households
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached31.7%
1,436 households
Detached31.4%
1,421 households
Terraced24.6%
1,114 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement9.6%
437 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.9%
42 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.9%
41 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.9%
39 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
2 households
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household43.6%
1,979 households
2 cars or vans in household30.9%
1,401 households
No cars or vans in household16.4%
744 households
3 or more cars or vans in household9%
410 households
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms44.6%
2,019 households
2 bedrooms24.7%
1,118 households
4 or more bedrooms20.2%
916 households
1 bedroom10.5%
477 households
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.3%
2,914 households
One-person household28.2%
1,280 households
Other household types7.4%
337 households
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household36.2%
1,638 households
1 person in household28.3%
1,280 households
3 people in household17.5%
795 households
4 people in household12.8%
579 households
5 people in household3.6%
162 households
6 people in household1.3%
59 households
7 people in household0.3%
14 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
3 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.4%
1,751 residents
15–2917.5%
1,873 residents
30–4422.2%
2,370 residents
45–6425.9%
2,772 residents
65 and over18%
1,925 residents
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White93.9%
10,037 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.3%
245 residents
Other ethnic group1.6%
167 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.6%
166 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.7%
79 residents
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

No qualifications23.9%
2,114 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above20.5%
1,811 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.9%
1,489 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.9%
1,313 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications12.2%
1,078 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship7.5%
662 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications4.1%
366 residents aged 16 and over
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)67%
5,924 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive31.4%
2,777 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.5%
136 residents aged 16 and over
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L13 Routine occupations21.7%
1,913 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations17.4%
1,541 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14.2%
1,255 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.4%
1,008 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations8.7%
770 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations8.6%
756 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers7.8%
686 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.3%
555 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4%
350 residents aged 16 and over
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health45.3%
4,846 residents
Good health38.3%
4,092 residents
Fair health12.4%
1,325 residents
Bad health3.3%
353 residents
Very bad health0.7%
75 residents
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.1%
9,103 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.9%
1,588 residents
Thetford Central & East · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension49.1%
2,226 households
Household is deprived in one dimension36.5%
1,652 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.8%
535 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.5%
115 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.1%
4 households
Thetford Central & East · 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 Breckland

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.