Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02006311

Beccles

Beccles is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,213 residents in East Suffolk. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

8,213

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,908

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

1,077.7

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

60.3%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

21.0%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

24.9%

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.

Ludlow Town, Shropshire10,714 residents · 62.3% owned · 20.6% no carFakenham, North Norfolk8,015 residents · 64.6% owned · 18.1% no carComberton, Wyre Forest8,224 residents · 62.3% owned · 20.9% no carNorth Walsham West, North Norfolk6,194 residents · 66.8% owned · 18.2% no carBridport North, Dorset6,415 residents · 66.5% owned · 18.8% no carHorncastle, East Lindsey7,554 residents · 65.0% owned · 17.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Beccles

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

Tenure

Owned60.3%
2,357 households
Private rented20.8%
814 households
Social rented17.8%
696 households
Shared ownership0.8%
32 households
Lives rent free0.2%
9 households
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced32.1%
1,254 households
Semi-detached30.1%
1,176 households
Detached29.1%
1,139 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement4.9%
190 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1%
41 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1%
40 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.9%
37 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.8%
32 households
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household49%
1,915 households
2 cars or vans in household22.7%
887 households
No cars or vans in household21%
821 households
3 or more cars or vans in household7.3%
286 households
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms46.2%
1,807 households
2 bedrooms31.6%
1,236 households
4 or more bedrooms13.4%
522 households
1 bedroom8.8%
344 households
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household59.6%
2,329 households
One-person household37.5%
1,466 households
Other household types2.9%
112 households
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household37.5%
1,466 households
2 people in household36.6%
1,430 households
3 people in household12.8%
500 households
4 people in household8.7%
339 households
5 people in household3.2%
124 households
6 people in household0.8%
31 households
7 people in household0.4%
17 households
8 or more people in household0.1%
5 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1514.6%
1,201 residents
15–2913.3%
1,091 residents
30–4416.3%
1,334 residents
45–6425.7%
2,106 residents
65 and over30.2%
2,475 residents
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White96.9%
7,959 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh1.4%
113 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups1.2%
96 residents
Other ethnic group0.4%
35 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African0.1%
8 residents
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above24.9%
1,724 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications22.1%
1,532 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications16.7%
1,158 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications15.2%
1,050 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.6%
806 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship6.7%
461 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.8%
192 residents aged 16 and over
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive49.6%
3,431 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)49.2%
3,408 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student1.2%
81 residents aged 16 and over
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.9%
1,379 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations16.2%
1,123 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations14.8%
1,027 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations11.3%
781 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10.9%
752 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.4%
650 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed6.8%
468 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations6.7%
461 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students4.1%
284 residents aged 16 and over
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health39.5%
3,246 residents
Good health37.3%
3,064 residents
Fair health16.5%
1,356 residents
Bad health5%
411 residents
Very bad health1.7%
136 residents
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act77.4%
6,360 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act22.6%
1,853 residents
Beccles · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension43.9%
1,716 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.3%
1,379 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions16.3%
636 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions4.3%
167 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
10 households
Beccles · 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 East Suffolk

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.