Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02006938

Central Luton

Central Luton is a Census neighbourhood of about 6,383 residents in Luton. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Luton
6,383

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,964

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

6,696.4

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

8.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

64.7%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.6%

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.

Five Ways North, Birmingham8,455 residents · 12.2% owned · 61.0% no carPreston Town Centre, Preston10,382 residents · 26.3% owned · 53.3% no carDigbeth, Birmingham6,124 residents · 14.8% owned · 60.8% no carSt Mary's, Southampton8,742 residents · 15.2% owned · 51.6% no carNewtown & Nicholstown, Southampton11,609 residents · 22.4% owned · 48.8% no carWolverhampton Central, Wolverhampton11,532 residents · 29.1% owned · 48.7% no car

Most similar within Luton

The closest matches in the same local authority.

New Town, Luton13,277 residents · 28.7% owned · 40.2% no carHigh Town, Luton9,371 residents · 24.4% owned · 43.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Central Luton

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

Tenure

Private rented61.5%
1,823 households
Social rented29.3%
869 households
Owned8.4%
248 households
Lives rent free0.4%
12 households
Shared ownership0.4%
12 households
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement70.5%
2,086 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits10.2%
301 households
Terraced7.4%
220 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop4.3%
126 households
Semi-detached3.1%
93 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.9%
85 households
Detached1.6%
46 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household64.7%
1,916 households
1 car or van in household29.8%
883 households
2 cars or vans in household4.2%
125 households
3 or more cars or vans in household1.2%
37 households
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

1 bedroom57.4%
1,699 households
2 bedrooms32.1%
950 households
3 bedrooms5.9%
176 households
4 or more bedrooms4.6%
136 households
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

One-person household48.4%
1,435 households
Single family household43.5%
1,288 households
Other household types8.1%
239 households
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household48.5%
1,435 households
2 people in household26.6%
788 households
3 people in household12.6%
374 households
4 people in household7.6%
226 households
5 people in household2.9%
86 households
6 people in household1%
30 households
7 people in household0.4%
11 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
9 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1516.2%
1,037 residents
15–2935.7%
2,278 residents
30–4425.5%
1,631 residents
45–6416%
1,019 residents
65 and over6.6%
420 residents
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White47.7%
3,044 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh27.8%
1,776 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African15%
958 residents
Other ethnic group4.8%
308 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.6%
295 residents
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above33.6%
1,783 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications23.2%
1,230 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications13.6%
724 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications10.4%
554 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications9.2%
488 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship5.7%
301 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications4.4%
233 residents aged 16 and over
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)52.3%
2,781 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive35.4%
1,883 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student12.2%
650 residents aged 16 and over
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L15 Full-time students22.2%
1,181 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations19.1%
1,016 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed13.6%
724 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations11.2%
597 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.8%
521 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers8.3%
440 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations6.3%
336 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations5%
266 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations4.4%
233 residents aged 16 and over
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health52.9%
3,377 residents
Good health31.2%
1,994 residents
Fair health10.7%
685 residents
Bad health4%
255 residents
Very bad health1.1%
72 residents
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act86.7%
5,535 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act13.3%
847 residents
Central Luton · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is deprived in one dimension40.2%
1,191 households
Household is not deprived in any dimension28.1%
833 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions23.4%
692 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions7.4%
218 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.9%
28 households
Central Luton · 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 Luton

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.