Housing in CM
What the homes in CM are, who owns them, how many people share them and what they rent for.
- Council
- Chelmsford
- Region
- East of England
- Population
- 773,012 (2024)
What homes look like here
The most common homes here are semi-detached houses (30.3%). Flats make up 17.3%, below the 22.2% across England.
Owning vs renting
69.2% of households in CM own their home, above the England average of 61.3%. Private renting makes up 14.9% of households, below the England figure of 20.5%. 35% own outright and 34.2% with a mortgage.
- Owned69.2%61.3%
- Shared ownership1%1%
- Private rented14.9%20.5%
- Social rented14.8%17.1%
- Lives rent free0.1%0.1%
By mortgage and landlord type
How many people live in each home
The average home here has 2.4 people living in it. 27.3% of households are one person living alone, against 30.1% across England.
Who lives together
The most common household is a couple with dependent children (21.8%). 27.9% of households include dependent children.
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.
Source: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics. Population: ONS mid-year estimates. Open Government Licence v3.0. Rents: ONS Price Index of Private Rents.