Place CheckerOfficial local evidence

Census 2021 neighbourhood · W02000391

Gabalfa

Gabalfa is a Census neighbourhood of about 9,415 residents in Cardiff. This is a statistical area, not an administrative boundary or a postcode district.

Area evidence brief for Cardiff
9,415

Usual residents

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

2,511

Households

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

7,414

Residents per km²

ONS Census 2021 · MSOA

47.2%

Households owning their home

ONS Census 2021 · tenure

26.8%

Households with no car or van

ONS Census 2021 · car availability

33.7%

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.

University & Newland North, Kingston upon Hull, City of8,110 residents · 53.5% owned · 27.6% no carOldfield Park West, Bath and North East Somerset8,330 residents · 42.6% owned · 33.5% no carEnglefield Green & University, Runnymede11,826 residents · 49.7% owned · 19.1% no carWidcombe, Bathwick Hill & Claverton Down, Bath and North East Somerset11,773 residents · 64.3% owned · 26.3% no carOnslow Village and University, Guildford8,974 residents · 51.1% owned · 28.5% no carEdgbaston South & University, Birmingham10,274 residents · 55.3% owned · 25.7% no car

Census 2021 · Census neighbourhood (MSOA)

Life in Gabalfa

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

Tenure

Owned47.2%
1,186 households
Private rented41.6%
1,044 households
Social rented10.6%
267 households
Lives rent free0.3%
7 households
Shared ownership0.3%
7 households
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Accommodation type

Terraced53.1%
1,333 households
Semi-detached18.8%
473 households
In a purpose-built block of flats or tenement14.8%
371 households
Part of a converted or shared house, including bedsits8.6%
215 households
In a commercial building, for example, in an office building, hotel or over a shop2.5%
64 households
Detached1.6%
40 households
Part of another converted building, for example, former school, church or warehouse0.6%
14 households
A caravan or other mobile or temporary structure0%
0 households
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Car or van availability

1 car or van in household45.5%
1,141 households
No cars or vans in household26.8%
672 households
2 cars or vans in household21.2%
531 households
3 or more cars or vans in household6.6%
166 households
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Number of bedrooms

3 bedrooms46.9%
1,177 households
4 or more bedrooms22.1%
554 households
2 bedrooms19.8%
496 households
1 bedroom11.3%
283 households
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household composition

Single family household51.8%
1,301 households
One-person household26%
652 households
Other household types22.2%
558 households
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household size

2 people in household32.7%
822 households
1 person in household26%
652 households
3 people in household17%
427 households
4 people in household14.4%
361 households
5 people in household6.5%
163 households
6 people in household2.4%
59 households
7 people in household0.6%
16 households
8 or more people in household0.4%
10 households
0 people in household0%
0 households
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Age

Under 1510.4%
976 residents
15–2956.6%
5,335 residents
30–4415.6%
1,468 residents
45–6411.1%
1,042 residents
65 and over6.3%
597 residents
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Ethnic group

White76.2%
7,171 residents
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh13.1%
1,238 residents
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups4.3%
403 residents
Other ethnic group3.5%
326 residents
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African3%
278 residents
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Highest qualification

Level 3 qualifications46%
3,856 residents aged 16 and over
Level 4 qualifications or above33.7%
2,827 residents aged 16 and over
No qualifications8.1%
676 residents aged 16 and over
Level 2 qualifications5.2%
437 residents aged 16 and over
Level 1 and entry level qualifications3.8%
318 residents aged 16 and over
Apprenticeship1.7%
141 residents aged 16 and over
Other qualifications1.6%
131 residents aged 16 and over
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Economic activity

Economically inactive52.3%
4,383 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active (excluding full-time students)37.5%
3,140 residents aged 16 and over
Economically active and a full-time student10.2%
859 residents aged 16 and over
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Occupational class (NS-SeC)

L15 Full-time students49.2%
4,128 residents aged 16 and over
L4, L5 and L6 Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations13.7%
1,152 residents aged 16 and over
L1, L2 and L3 Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations9.9%
827 residents aged 16 and over
L7 Intermediate occupations6.1%
514 residents aged 16 and over
L13 Routine occupations5.4%
457 residents aged 16 and over
L12 Semi-routine occupations5.4%
449 residents aged 16 and over
L14.1 and L14.2 Never worked and long-term unemployed4.6%
389 residents aged 16 and over
L8 and L9 Small employers and own account workers3.5%
295 residents aged 16 and over
L10 and L11 Lower supervisory and technical occupations2.1%
175 residents aged 16 and over
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

General health

Very good health56.6%
5,326 residents
Good health31.6%
2,978 residents
Fair health9%
843 residents
Bad health2.2%
209 residents
Very bad health0.6%
59 residents
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Disability

Not disabled under the Equality Act85.9%
8,088 residents
Disabled under the Equality Act14.1%
1,327 residents
Gabalfa · Census neighbourhood (MSOA) · ONS Census 2021

Household deprivation

Household is not deprived in any dimension54%
1,356 households
Household is deprived in one dimension31.2%
783 households
Household is deprived in two dimensions11.4%
285 households
Household is deprived in three dimensions3.2%
81 households
Household is deprived in four dimensions0.2%
5 households
Gabalfa · 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 Cardiff

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.