City

Southend-on-Sea area guide

Who lives in Southend-on-Sea, how they live, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: Southend-on-Sea
Region: East of England
Population: 131,367 (2024)

Southend-on-SeaCity

At a glance

What Southend-on-Sea is like

Southend-on-Sea is a city in the East of England. It is home to about 131,367 people across 55,614 households. 58.7% of households own their home, 29.2% rent privately and 11.4% are in social housing. The largest age group is 30–34, and 55.1% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is well above the England and Wales average.

Scores

How Southend-on-Sea compares

Headline figures for Southend-on-Sea, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

4.9/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

8/ 10

Higher than most: 47.6 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

TransportMore

7.0/ 10

Very good: 4 stations within a mile, 27 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

97%

Rated good or better across 34 inspected schools in Southend-on-Sea.

Household incomeMore

£53,003

Average annual income before tax, higher than 50% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where Southend-on-Sea differs most from the national average.

01
A big private rental marketPositive
29.2% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England. Tenant demand is established here.
02
Higher crime than mostLook closer
47.6 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year, against 31.1 across England and Wales.
03
Well connectedPositive
4 stations within a mile and 27 bus stops within a ten-minute walk.
04
Well-rated schoolsPositive
97% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better.

Questions

Southend-on-Sea FAQs

Is Southend-on-Sea a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 4.9 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 47.6 per 1,000 people a year, band 8 of 10 nationally. 97% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10 (very good).

Is Southend-on-Sea safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 47.6 offences per 1,000 people a year around Southend-on-Sea, well above the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 8 of 10.

Who lives in Southend-on-Sea?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 30–34, at 6.9% of residents. 58.7% of households own their home. The most common property type is semi-detached (29.3%).

How well connected is Southend-on-Sea?

Connectivity scores 7.0 out of 10.

There are 27 bus stops within 800m and 4 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 7.0 out of 10 (very good). The nearest station is Prittlewell Rail Station, 0.4 miles away.

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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