1 in 3 UK households contain just 1 resident, latest Census reveals

30% of households in England & Wales contain people living alone. Blackpool, Inner London and Brighton & Hove are the top 3 locations for single-person occupancies.

Conveyancing solicitors, Bird & Co, have analysed recently released ONS Census 2021 figures to ascertain the top Counties and Unitary Authorities in England and Wales where people are living alone.

The study found the percentage of 1-person households in 2021, revealing the 10 Counties and Unitary Authorities with the highest percentage of 1-person households. The areas, alongside the percentage of single occupancy households, were:

Blackpool, 38%
Inner London, 35.19%
Brighton and Hove, 34.7%
Isle of Wight, 34.7%
Torbay, 34.7%
Tyne and Wear, 34.54%
Darlington, 34.2%
Kingston Upon Hull, 34.2%
Merseyside, 34.2%
County Durham, 33.9%
Overall, 1 in 3 households in England & Wales are 1-person; a figure which has barely changed over the past 10 years. All of the areas in the top 10 list have a higher percentage of single occupancy than this average.

Daniel Chard, Partner at Bird & Co, said: “The release of the 2021 Census data has already surprised us. Despite growing concerns over people facing the cost-of-living crisis on a single income, 1-person households are still a popular choice, especially for city locations.”