Housing in ZE
What the homes in ZE are, who owns them, how many people share them and what they rent for.
- Council
- Shetland Islands
- Region
- Scotland
- Population
- 23,190 (2024)
What homes look like here
The most common homes here are detached houses (56.5%). Flats make up 9.2%, less than half the 34.4% across Scotland.
Owning vs renting
67.4% of households in ZE own their home, broadly in line with the Scotland average of 62.4%. Private renting makes up 6.9% of households, well below the Scotland figure of 12.9%. 43.3% own outright and 24.1% with a mortgage.
- Owned67.4%62.4%
- Shared ownership0.8%0.9%
- Private rented6.9%12.9%
- Social rented22.7%22.5%
- Lives rent free2.2%1.4%
By mortgage and landlord type
How many people live in each home
The average home here has 2.1 people living in it. 38% of households are one person living alone, against 37.1% across Scotland.
Who lives together
The most common household is one person living alone aged under 66 (22.8%). 22.4% of households include dependent children.
Private rents in Scotland
Average monthly rent for a new or renewed tenancy in Scotland (August 2026, +1.1% on a year earlier). ONS publishes rent figures at council level rather than by neighbourhood.
Source: Scotland's Census 2022, National Records of Scotland. Population: NRS small-area estimates. Open Government Licence v3.0. Rents: ONS Price Index of Private Rents.