Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02006922

Parson's Heath

Parson's Heath is a Census neighbourhood of about 14,114 residents in Colchester. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

14,114

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

5,886

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,021.6

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

71.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

18.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

27.2%

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.

Burton Winshill, East Staffordshire8,387 residents · 62.7% owned · 20.6% no carRedhill, Gedling7,300 residents · 75.5% owned · 18.8% no carBracebridge South & Swallow Beck, Lincoln11,351 residents · 75.7% owned · 16.1% no carEastwood, Southend-on-Sea10,581 residents · 70.9% owned · 17.8% no carSt Neots Eaton Socon, Huntingdonshire5,727 residents · 64.9% owned · 17.2% no carMarket Drayton, Shropshire12,588 residents · 65.0% owned · 17.6% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Parson's Heath

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

Tenure

Owned71.4%
4,205 households
Private rented15.7%
924 households
Social rented12.3%
724 households
Shared ownership0.4%
26 households
Lives rent free0.1%
7 households
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Semi-detached39.1%
2,299 households
Detached35.1%
2,065 households
Terraced13.9%
817 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement10.3%
609 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits1.1%
66 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop0.3%
16 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.2%
10 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
4 households
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household41.6%
2,448 households
2 cars or vans in household29.5%
1,738 households
No cars or vans in household18.7%
1,099 households
3 or more cars or vans in household10.2%
601 households
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms46.6%
2,742 households
2 bedrooms22.9%
1,348 households
4 or more bedrooms22%
1,294 households
1 bedroom8.5%
501 households
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household64.6%
3,800 households
One-person household28.7%
1,689 households
Other household types6.7%
396 households
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household35.7%
2,101 households
1 person in household28.7%
1,689 households
3 people in household16.5%
972 households
4 people in household12.6%
742 households
5 people in household4.2%
249 households
6 people in household1.6%
93 households
7 people in household0.5%
28 households
8 or more people in household0.2%
12 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516%
2,265 residents
15–2916.9%
2,392 residents
30–4418.7%
2,635 residents
45–6425.4%
3,580 residents
65 and over23%
3,243 residents
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White88.6%
12,512 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh4.4%
618 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3.3%
459 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups2.6%
361 residents
Other ethnic group1.2%
165 residents
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above27.2%
3,181 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications20%
2,345 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.5%
2,054 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications14.7%
1,721 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications11.9%
1,389 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.9%
685 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications2.8%
333 residents aged 16 and over
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)56.3%
6,597 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive41.3%
4,832 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student2.4%
279 residents aged 16 and over
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations20.1%
2,350 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations14%
1,639 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations12.8%
1,502 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations12.3%
1,438 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations10.7%
1,247 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers10%
1,165 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.7%
904 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students6.8%
792 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations5.7%
671 residents aged 16 and over
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health44.2%
6,238 residents
Good health36.1%
5,098 residents
Fair health14.6%
2,056 residents
Bad health4%
559 residents
Very bad health1.1%
161 residents
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act80.5%
11,356 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act19.5%
2,758 residents
Parson's Heath · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension46.1%
2,715 households
Household is deprived in one dimension35.6%
2,098 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions14.8%
873 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.2%
191 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
9 households
Parson's Heath · 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 Colchester

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.