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Chelmsford demographics.
A data-driven statistical profile of Chelmsford - town populations, census figures, and key demographic indicators drawn from the latest available official data.
Population
188,598
Median age
42.0
Households
78,329
All households
Density
442.1 / km²
People per km²
Gender split
49.1% / 50.9%
Male / female
Who lives here, and how that is changing.
Headline population counts, density and household structure, with the six-year growth trend.
- Population basics
- Total population
- 188,598
- Population density
- 442.1 / km²
- Households
- 78,329
- Male / female
- 49.1%
- Aged 65+
- 19.5%
- Dependency ratio
- 72.9
- Population trend
Total resident population in thousands. A rising line means net growth from births and inward migration.
The shape of the population pyramid.
Age band distribution split by gender, with dependency and vital statistics.
- Age pyramid
Share of the total population in each age band, split by gender - wide middle bands indicate a strong working-age base.
- Vital statistics
- Median age
- 42.0 yrs42.0 yrs
- Dependency ratio
- 72.971
- Male
- 49.1%49%
- Female
- 50.9%51%
- Aged 65+
- 19.5%18.4%
Tenure, dwelling type and household composition.
Census 2021 housing indicators for the area, benchmarked against England.
- Tenure & conditions
- Home ownership
- 70%61.3%
- Social rented
- 13.3%17.1%
- Private rented
- 15.5%20.5%
- Overcrowded households
- 10.7%11.1%
- No central heating
- 1.2%1.5%
- Property type mix
Composition of the housing stock by build type, as a share of all dwellings.
- Tenure split
How households occupy their homes - the owned versus rented balance drives local market liquidity.
Where the jobs and the output are.
Labour market headlines and the sector composition of local employment.
- Labour market
- Economically active
- 63.4%60.9%
- Unemployed
- 4.2%5.7%
- Full-time employees
- 36.8%34.3%
- Self-employed
- 10.2%9.5%
- Students (economically active)
- 1.9%2.3%
- Retired
- 23.1%21.5%
- Top employment sectors
Share of total employment by industry - a concentrated profile signals exposure to one sector's cycle.
Attainment and the local skills base.
School performance and the qualification profile of working-age residents.
- Attainment & schools
- Level 4+ qualification
- 33.5%33.9%
- No qualifications
- 15.4%18.1%
- Apprenticeship
- 5.2%5.3%
- Full-time students 16+
- 5.8%7.9%
- Schoolchildren aged 5–15
- 11.9%12%
- Qualification levels
Highest qualification held by residents aged 16+. Level 4+ covers degree-level and above.
Life expectancy, access and deprivation.
Population health outcomes alongside primary care capacity and deprivation ranking.
- Health indicators
- Very good health
- 51.3%48.5%
- Good health
- 34%33.7%
- Bad or very bad health
- 3.7%5.2%
- Disabled (day-to-day limited)
- 14.6%17.3%
- Provides unpaid care
- 7.4%7.8%
- Life expectancy (male)
- No dataNo data
- Life expectancy (female)
- No dataNo data
- Healthy life expectancy
- No dataNo data
- IMD decile
- No dataNo data
- Deprivation
5
IMD decile out of 10 (1 = most deprived). The United Kingdom shows variation across regions, with pockets of both high affluence and concentrated deprivation.
The cultural make-up of the area.
Census-based breakdowns of ethnic group, country of birth, language and religion.
- Ethnic group
Share of residents by broad census ethnic group.
- Religion
Stated religion at the last census, as a share of residents.
- Origin & language
- Born in the UK
- 88.4%82.6%
- Born outside the UK
- 11.6%17.4%
- English as main language
- 95%90.8%
- Cannot speak English well
- 0.6%1.9%
How people move around.
Commuting modes, journey times, car ownership and network connectivity.
- Mode of travel to work
Primary commute mode for working residents, including those who mainly work from home.
- Network & journey times
- Average commute
- No dataNo data
- No car or van
- 14.6%23.5%
- 2+ cars or vans
- 31.2%26.1%
- Work mainly from home
- 37.9%31.5%
- Car ownership
Households by number of cars or vans available.
Population of major UK cities.
Top 10 UK cities by population, sourced from the latest available census and administrative data.
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 7,556,900 |
| 2 | Birmingham | 984,333 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 864,122 |
| 4 | Nottingham | 729,977 |
| 5 | Sheffield | 685,368 |
| 6 | Bristol | 617,280 |
| 7 | Glasgow | 591,620 |
| 8 | Leicester | 508,916 |
| 9 | Edinburgh | 464,990 |
| 10 | Leeds | 455,123 |
Regional population comparison.
Population figures for English regions across the 2001, 2011 and 2021 census years.
| Region | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No data available | |||
— Data sources
- ONS — population, age, ethnicity, housing
- Nomis — employment, earnings, qualifications
- Census 2021 (Nomis) — area vs England comparisons
- Police.uk — crime data
- MHCLG — Index of Multiple Deprivation
- Postcodes.io / GeoNames — boundary mapping