Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02006899

Central

Central is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,145 residents in Birmingham. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Birmingham
6,145

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

4,065

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,503.3

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

17.5%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

60.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

67.2%

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.

City Centre North & Collyhurst, Manchester7,882 residents · 17.4% owned · 66.1% no carGreengate & Blackfriars, Salford8,024 residents · 16.1% owned · 59.7% no carCity of London, City of London8,583 residents · 36.5% owned · 77.2% no carCastlefield & Deansgate, Manchester6,428 residents · 25.8% owned · 52.6% no carPier Head, Liverpool6,673 residents · 20.8% owned · 56.7% no carTemple Meads, Bristol, City of10,108 residents · 17.2% owned · 55.2% no car

Most similar within Birmingham

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Ladywood - Summer Hill, Birmingham7,904 residents · 20.9% owned · 48.5% no carDigbeth, Birmingham6,124 residents · 14.8% owned · 60.8% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Central

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

Tenure

Private rented66.9%
2,721 households
Owned17.5%
711 households
Social rented15%
609 households
Shared ownership0.5%
19 households
Lives rent free0.1%
5 households
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement86.5%
3,519 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse7.8%
316 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop3.7%
150 households
Terraced0.9%
37 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits0.5%
19 households
Semi-detached0.4%
16 households
Detached0.1%
6 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household60.8%
2,469 households
1 car or van in household33.8%
1,374 households
2 cars or vans in household5%
203 households
3 or more cars or vans in household0.4%
18 households
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom59%
2,398 households
2 bedrooms38%
1,544 households
3 bedrooms2.7%
110 households
4 or more bedrooms0.3%
14 households
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household58.7%
2,387 households
Single family household32.7%
1,329 households
Other household types8.6%
350 households
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household58.7%
2,387 households
2 people in household34.6%
1,408 households
3 people in household4.5%
185 households
4 people in household1.6%
64 households
5 people in household0.4%
18 households
6 people in household0.1%
4 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
7 people in household0%
0 households
8 or more people in household0%
0 households
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 154.9%
299 residents
15–2949.3%
3,028 residents
30–4432.2%
1,981 residents
45–6411.2%
687 residents
65 and over2.5%
151 residents
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White54.9%
3,373 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh21.1%
1,294 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African10.3%
635 residents
Other ethnic group7.6%
464 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups6.2%
378 residents
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above67.2%
3,925 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications12.9%
756 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications6.5%
378 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications5.7%
335 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications4%
233 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications1.9%
113 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship1.7%
101 residents aged 16 and over
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)68.6%
4,010 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive24.3%
1,420 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student7.1%
417 residents aged 16 and over
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations28.7%
1,679 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations21.3%
1,243 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students18.8%
1,101 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.1%
416 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations6.2%
361 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.7%
333 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations4.6%
267 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers4.5%
264 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.1%
180 residents aged 16 and over
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health56.8%
3,490 residents
Good health33.7%
2,071 residents
Fair health6.8%
419 residents
Bad health2.3%
139 residents
Very bad health0.4%
26 residents
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act89.8%
5,517 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act10.2%
628 residents
Central · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension62.2%
2,527 households
Household is deprived in one dimension27.6%
1,122 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions7.8%
317 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions2.2%
91 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
8 households
Central · 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 Birmingham

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.