Socio-economic statistics for Rayleigh, Essex

Socio-economic statistics for Rayleigh, Essex

Is Rayleigh in Rochford a nice place to live or is it a bit rough? We have collated a series of socio-economic statistics and demographics from UK government sources such as the 2021 Census and the Index of Multiple Deprivation. They should give you a broad snapshot of the area and the surrounding locations. Are the residents of Rayleigh older than the national average or younger? What is the population of Rayleigh and Rochford? What is the claimant count in Rayleigh and how many residents are unemployed? This page should provide you with the answers.

What are the occupations of the residents of Rayleigh?

The largest employment sector in Rayleigh is Professional Occupations. The smallest employment sector is Process Plant & Machine Operatives.
SectorProportion
Professional Occupations19.28%
Associate Professional & Technical15.38%
Managers, Directors & Senior Officials14.49%
Administrative & Secretarial13.43%
Skilled Trades11.07%
Caring, leisure & Other Services7.55%
Elementary Occupations7.42%
Process Plant & Machine Operatives4.48%

Rayleigh Unemployment Statistics

Since the introduction of Universal Credit, The Department for Work & Pensions have not issued any statistics (in our view) that can be used to ascertain the levels of unemployment or under employment in the UK, just meaningless geographic counts. However, the Office of National Statistics does publish claimant counts of people receiving out of work benefits, be that legacy Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit as a proportion of people over 16. These figures are usually updated once a month and are for Local Authority Districts and Unitary Authority Districts. So below are the figures of Rochford.
AreaUnemployedYearly Change
Rochford2.1%-0.4%
East of England3%-0.3%
England3.8%-0.3%
UK3.7%-0.3%
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), Last Retrieved: March 2023
The 2021 census had data on people who were economically active (seeking work) yet unemployed on Census day (Sunday March 21st 2021). These statitics do cover Rayleigh on a ward level. However, it has to be noted that the Census day was during the height of the Covid19 pandemic and therefore are not reflective of normal levels of unemployment. For example, between March 2020 and June 2020 people claiming Universal Credit doubled in most areas of the United Kingdom and then steadily declined up to the day of the Census and beyond. This data also contains the proportion of people in part-time work (working between 1-35 hours per week), which maybe an indicator of under employment in Rayleigh.
Economic StatusProportion
In Employment52.46%
In Part-Time Work28.78%
Unemployed4.5%
71.22% of the people in work, are in full-time employment in Rayleigh

Rayleigh & Rochford Immigration Statistics

We have analysed the Census 2021 raw data on country of birth and compiled immigration statistics as percentages of the population. All percentages have been rounded to two decimal places. Below are the figures for Rayleigh in the Rochford local area district.

AreaBorn in UKBorn outside UK
Wheatley (Rochford)95.23%4.77%
Rochford95.96%4.04%
East85.09%14.91%
England82.65%17.35%

Rayleigh compared to other wards in Rochford

#WardBorn in UKBorn outside UK
1Roche South94.3%5.7%
2Wheatley95.23%4.77%
3Sweyne Park and Grange95.28%4.72%
4Hockley95.57%4.43%
5Downhall and Rawreth95.8%4.2%
6Lodge96.03%3.97%
7Trinity96.03%3.97%
8Roche North and Rural96.17%3.83%
9Hawkwell East96.26%3.74%
10Foulness and The Wakerings96.37%3.63%
11Hockley and Ashingdon96.61%3.39%
12Hawkwell West96.73%3.27%
13Hullbridge97.15%2.85%
';Rayleigh is ranked 2 out of 13 wards in Rochford for the number of residents born outside of the UK.

Rayleigh Education Statistics

We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census to found of the level of education Rayleigh residents have in terms of formal qualifications as a percentage. The UK government breaks qualifications down into 7 levels. A detailed explanation of these levels can be found here. However, the Census groups these into just 4 \'levels\'. Here are some examples of the qualifications each census level represents when not stated;

  • Level 1 - GCSE grades D, E, F, or G & below
  • Level 2 - GCSE A*, A, B, C or O Level grades A, B or C
  • Level 3 - A or AS qualification at any grade
  • Level 4 - HNC, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree or Phd

In this first table we have compared Rayleigh to the national average for England.
LevelWheatleyEngland
No Qualifications20.43%18.08%
Level 112.71%9.69%
Level 217.15%13.32%
Apprenticeship6.13%5.32%
Level 317.08%16.92%
Level 422.88%33.92%

Rayleigh Health Statistics

Wheatley has a lower proportion of residents (very_good_pc-$ward_health->very_good_pc, 2)%) describing their health as very good than the national average for England.
AreaVGGFBVB
Wheatley (Rochford)48.4%33.46%12.93%4.08%1.13%
Rochford48.87%34.52%12.36%3.31%0.93%
East48.28%34.64%12.5%3.58%1%
England48.49%33.71%12.65%3.98%1.17%
VG = Very Good, G = Good, F = Fair, B = Bad & VB = Very Bad

How has the health of residents in Rochford changed since 2011?

Rochford residents who describe their health as either good or very good has increased by 0.71% between the 2011 and 2021 census.
YearVGGFBVB
201147.76%34.92%13.01%3.38%0.94%
202148.87%34.52%12.36%3.31%0.93%
VG = Very Good, G = Good, F = Fair, B = Bad & VB = Very Bad

How many residents own or rent their home in Rayleigh and Rochford

We have taken the raw data from the 2021 census and calculated what proportion of people in Rayleigh either own or rent their home. All percentages have been rounded to two decimal places. 75.97 of residents own their home either outright or mortgaged. 24.03 of Rayleigh residents rent their home either privately or through a social landlord.
AreaOwnedRented
Wheatley (Rochford)75.97%24.03%
Rochford80.64%19.36%
East65.23%34.77%
England61.31%38.69%

Rayleigh has a significantly higher level of home ownership than the national average. This is indicative or an economically wealthy area.

Rayleigh compared to other wards in Rochford

#WardOwnedRented
1Hawkwell West90.09%9.91%
2Hockley and Ashingdon90.08%9.92%
3Hullbridge89.17%10.83%
4Trinity (Rochford)88.27%11.73%
5Lodge86.37%13.63%
6Downhall and Rawreth82.31%17.69%
7Hockley82.13%17.87%
8Hawkwell East81.14%18.86%
9Sweyne Park and Grange77.71%22.29%
10Wheatley (Rochford)75.97%24.03%
11Foulness and The Wakerings75.05%24.95%
12Roche North and Rural66.29%33.71%
13Roche South66.15%33.85%
Rayleigh is ranked 10 out of 13 wards in Rochford for the percentage of home owners.

Rayleigh Age Distribution Statistics

We have taken the raw data from the 2021 Census and the calculated the proportion of age groups in Wheatley.
Age BandProportion
4 & under
5 - 9 years
10 - 15 years
16 - 19 years
20 - 24 years
25 - 34 years
35 - 49 years
50 - 64 years
65 - 74 years
75 - 84 years
85 years & over

What is the population of Rayleigh and Rochford?

The table below contains the populations figures for each ward in Rochford including Rayleigh. These population ONS figures are estimated are dated Mid 2020.

WardPopulation
Downhall and Rawreth7141
Foulness and The Wakerings7033
Hawkwell East6169
Hawkwell West6785
Hockley6428
Hockley and Ashingdon6766
Hullbridge6590
Lodge6901
Roche North and Rural7072
Roche South6357
Sweyne Park and Grange6691
Trinity6995
Wheatley6699
Rochford Total87627



Last updated: 20/02/2024, Additional Sources: Office for National Statistics & Department for Work & Pensions.