Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · E02006940

Central Reading South

Central Reading South is a Census neighbourhood of about 8,240 residents in Reading. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Reading
8,240

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

3,608

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

9,166.8

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

24.4%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

51.3%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

54.7%

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.

Ladywood - Summer Hill, Birmingham7,904 residents · 20.9% owned · 48.5% no carEaling Broadway East, Ealing6,426 residents · 28.3% owned · 51.6% no carMillwall South, Tower Hamlets11,007 residents · 29.7% owned · 55.2% no carSt George in the East & Wapping North, Tower Hamlets8,965 residents · 25.6% owned · 68.9% no carKingston Riverside, Kingston upon Thames10,561 residents · 46.0% owned · 38.4% no carSurbiton North, Kingston upon Thames7,199 residents · 43.9% owned · 40.1% no car

Most similar within Reading

The closest matches in the same local authority.

Central Reading North, Reading7,076 residents · 20.2% owned · 56.0% no carSouthampton Street & Redlands Road, Reading10,708 residents · 36.6% owned · 38.4% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Central Reading South

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

Tenure

Private rented59.2%
2,137 households
Owned24.4%
882 households
Social rented14.7%
530 households
Shared ownership1.5%
53 households
Lives rent free0.2%
6 households
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement66.8%
2,409 households
Terraced15.5%
560 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits7.3%
262 households
Semi-detached3.8%
136 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse2.6%
94 households
Detached2.3%
82 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop1.7%
60 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0.1%
3 households
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

No cars or vans in household51.3%
1,849 households
1 car or van in household39.7%
1,433 households
2 cars or vans in household7.5%
270 households
3 or more cars or vans in household1.5%
55 households
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

2 bedrooms44.3%
1,597 households
1 bedroom39%
1,406 households
3 bedrooms9.7%
349 households
4 or more bedrooms7%
254 households
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household49.1%
1,774 households
One-person household39.9%
1,441 households
Other household types10.9%
395 households
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

1 person in household40%
1,442 households
2 people in household33.4%
1,204 households
3 people in household14.3%
517 households
4 people in household8.2%
296 households
5 people in household2.3%
82 households
6 people in household1.1%
39 households
7 people in household0.4%
16 households
8 or more people in household0.3%
10 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1512.4%
1,023 residents
15–2935%
2,882 residents
30–4432.8%
2,703 residents
45–6415%
1,233 residents
65 and over4.8%
397 residents
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White54.1%
4,460 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh28.1%
2,318 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African8%
663 residents
Other ethnic group5.1%
419 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.6%
382 residents
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 4 qualifications or above54.7%
3,927 residents aged 16 and over
Level 3 qualifications17.5%
1,253 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications10.1%
726 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications6.3%
451 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications6%
427 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications3%
213 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship2.5%
176 residents aged 16 and over
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically active (excluding full-time students)65.7%
4,716 residents aged 16 and over
Economically inactive29.6%
2,127 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student4.6%
332 residents aged 16 and over
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations22.4%
1,606 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations19.6%
1,409 residents aged 16 and over
L15 Full-time students18.4%
1,322 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations8.4%
601 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations8.1%
582 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations7.5%
540 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed7.4%
528 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers4.9%
355 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations3.2%
229 residents aged 16 and over
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health55%
4,534 residents
Good health33.8%
2,781 residents
Fair health8.4%
696 residents
Bad health2.2%
181 residents
Very bad health0.6%
48 residents
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act89.1%
7,341 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act10.9%
899 residents
Central Reading South · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension55.7%
2,009 households
Household is deprived in one dimension29.7%
1,070 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.3%
409 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3%
107 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.3%
11 households
Central Reading South · 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 Reading

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.