Second address figures published for the first time

Over 1.5m people in England and Wales (2.8 per cent of the population) have a second address, in England or Wales, that they use for more than 30 days a year according to the latest statistics from the 2011 Census published today (22 October).

A further 48,000 have a second address in Scotland or Northern Ireland with an additional 821,000 having a second address outside the UK.

The statistics for England and Wales cover those who have a second address in a different local authority area to the one in which they usually live.

The figures are grouped under three headings; ‘Working’ (an address used when working away from home or armed forces base address for military personnel who usually reside with their family), ‘Holiday’ (a holiday address) or ‘Other’ (including students’ home addresses and other parent or guardian’s addresses for children of separated parents).

1,216,000 people had a second address in England or Wales classed as ‘Other’ (77 per cent of people with a second address).

189,000 people had a second address in England or Wales classed as ‘Working’ (11 per cent of people with a second address).

165,000 people had a second address in England or Wales classed as ‘Holiday’ (12 per cent of people with a second address).

Eighteen out of the top twenty local authorities (ranked as a rate per thousand of the usually resident population) where people reported that they had a second address of any type were in less densely populated, rural or coastal areas.

The other two areas in the top twenty were the City of London, (at the top of the list with 185 per thousand) and Westminster (twentieth on the list with 61 per thousand). These two local authorities, together with Richmondshire, had a higher proportion of work addresses than other local authorities.

Richmondshire’s work-related second addresses were mainly due to the number of military personnel based there.

In Wales, Gwynedd was the local authority with the highest rate of people who did not usually live there but recorded a second address of any type (99 per thousand of the usually resident population). Other Wales local authorities in the top 20 of second addresses of any type are Isle of Anglesey, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

Gwynedd was also the local authority across all of England and Wales where the greatest rate of people, by the same measure, recorded a second address used for holidays (64 per thousand).

Looking at local authorities with the highest number of people (rather than the highest rate) who usually live elsewhere and who have a second address in that local authority, the top five would be Cornwall (23,000), Wiltshire (21,000), Birmingham (18,000), Leeds (15,000) and Westminster (13,000). Of these five, Westminster is the smallest and the only one also in the list of local authorities with the highest rate per thousand of people with second addresses, while the other four are among the largest local authorities in England and Wales.

These data cannot be used as a proxy for an estimate of the number of second homes as more than one person can record the same second address. For example, these addresses could include dwellings that are second homes to more than one person (e.g. a family of four who all record the same holiday address), but also communal establishments such as armed forces bases and rented rooms in properties occupied by usual residents.

Guy Goodwin, Census Director, said “This is the first time that the census has collected information about the number of people who have second addresses.

These statistics should be of particular interest to local authorities as they will provide information about people who do not live in the area full time, but who spend time there.

It is an example of the richness of data that the census produces and provides vital information about patterns of contemporary life. This picture will become even richer as further statistics are published.”

The new statistics are contained in an ONS statistical bulletin, ‘Number of people with second addresses in local authorities in England and Wales’, available at 2011 Census: Number of people with second addresses in local authorities in England and Wales, March 2011 

Usual residents of England and Wales with second addresses in the local authority, top 20

England and Wales local authorities, March 2011

Table source: Office for National Statistics

For further information:

Media line:  01329 447654
Email:   2011censuspress@ons.gov.uk
Web:   www.ons.gov.uk/census
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/2011censusinfo

Background notes

1. 2011 Census population statistics published in July relate to the number of ‘usual residents’ (those who have a main home) in each local authority. The census collected details from respondents who have a second address that they stay at for more than 30 days a year.
2. Information on people who have a second address within the same local authority and flow data, showing where people in a particular local authority had a second address, is being considered for a future release.
3. The second address information was not gathered in any previous census so this is the first time that these data are available.
4. The information provided to ONS is used solely for the census, is anonymised and protected for 100 years.
5. Census Day was 27 March 2011 and all population numbers refer to that day.
6. Government uses census statistics to help to allocate funding for services such as education, transport and health. Policy makers in central and local government use the census to identify the needs of different communities. The figures are also used by commercial enterprises.
7. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available from the Media Relations Office.
8. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.

9. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: media.relations@ons.gsi.gov.uk