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Housing in Chelmsford

What the homes in Chelmsford are, who owns them, how many people share them and what they rent for.

Council
Chelmsford
Region
East of England
Population
115,909 (2024)
Property types

What homes look like here

The most common homes here are semi-detached houses (32.4%). Flats make up 25.5%, above the 22.2% across England.

ChelmsfordEngland
Detached20.2%22.9%
Semi-detached32.4%31.5%
Terraced21.8%23%
Purpose-built flat23%17.1%
Flat in a converted or shared house1.2%3.5%
Flat in a commercial or converted building1.3%1.7%
Caravan or mobile home0.1%0.4%
Tenure

Owning vs renting

65.6% of households in Chelmsford own their home, broadly in line with the England average of 61.3%. Private renting makes up 18.3% of households, broadly in line with the England figure of 20.5%. 31.9% own outright and 33.7% with a mortgage.

Chelmsford
66%
18%
15%
England
  • Owned65.6%61.3%
  • Shared ownership1.4%1%
  • Private rented18.3%20.5%
  • Social rented14.7%17.1%
  • Lives rent free0.1%0.1%

By mortgage and landlord type

ChelmsfordEngland
Owned outright31.9%32.5%
With a mortgage or loan33.7%28.8%
From a private landlord or letting agent16.7%18.2%
Other private rented1.5%2.2%
From the council2.4%8.3%
From a housing association12.3%8.8%
Occupancy

How many people live in each home

The average home here has 2.4 people living in it. 29.4% of households are one person living alone, against 30.1% across England.

ChelmsfordEngland
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
123456+
Households

Who lives together

The most common household is a couple with dependent children (22.2%). 28.3% of households include dependent children.

ChelmsfordEngland
Living alone, under 6617.5%17.3%
Living alone, 66 and over11.9%12.8%
Couple, no children17.2%16.8%
Couple with dependent children22.2%18.9%
Couple with grown-up children6.4%6.3%
Lone parent with dependent children6.1%6.9%
Lone parent with grown-up children4%4.2%
Family, all aged 66 and over8.8%9.2%
Sharers and other households5.9%7.7%
Rents

Private rents in Chelmsford

Average monthly rent for a new or renewed tenancy in Chelmsford (August 2026, +2.4% on a year earlier). ONS publishes rent figures at council level rather than by neighbourhood.

ChelmsfordEngland
All homes£1,439£1,459
One bedroom£1,059£1,195
Two bedrooms£1,291£1,335
Three bedrooms£1,543£1,489
Four or more£2,220£2,161
Detached£1,993£1,640
Semi-detached£1,521£1,449
Terraced£1,370£1,435
Flat or maisonette£1,210£1,444

Source: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics. Population: ONS mid-year estimates. Open Government Licence v3.0. Rents: ONS Price Index of Private Rents.

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