# Castle L

North Belfast. 2,070 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 0.3 square kilometres.

Castle L had 2,040 usual residents at the census (NISRA Census 2021).

Middle area. Code N21000189. In: [Northern Ireland](https://openindex.co.uk/northern-ireland) › [Belfast](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast)

## Key figures

- **Population: 2,040** (2021). Castle L had 2,040 usual residents at the census (NISRA Census 2021). 333rd least populated of 9,448. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-l#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 0%** (2022). About 0% of people in Castle L live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-l#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 97.4%** (January 2026). In Castle L, 97.4% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-l#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 4.7%** (August 2026). In Castle L, 4.7% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026 (ONS via Nomis). UK 3.9%. Source: Claimant count (Nomis), August 2026. Published 15 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-l#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=N21000189) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 0% of people in Castle L live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=N21000189) (UK House Price Index · July 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Belfast. The outline is Castle L.
- [Crime and ASB by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/recorded-crime?place=N21000189) (Police recorded crime and outcomes (data.police.uk) · August 2026): Crime and anti-social behaviour for Castle L.
- [Population by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=N21000189) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Castle L had 2,040 usual residents at the census.

## Recorded crime in Castle L

In the 12 months to August 2026, police recorded crimes and anti-social behaviour in Castle L at a rate of 151.2 per 1,000 people.
That compares with 128.5 per 1,000 people across Belfast.
Worked out by Open Index from police.uk crime records and ONS and NISRA population estimates.

| Kind of crime, 12 months to August 2026 | Count |
| --- | --- |
| Violence and sexual offences | 103 |
| Anti-social behaviour | 95 |
| Shoplifting | 28 |
| Other crime | 27 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 21 |
| Drug offences | 17 |
| Burglary | 10 |
| Vehicle crime | 8 |
| Robbery | 4 |
| Theft from the person | 0 |

Source: police.uk, 12 months to August 2026.

## How Castle L compares

Each middle area against every other middle area the measure covers.

| Measure | Castle L | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 2,040 | 72nd most populated | 175 middle areas, Belfast · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 0% | joint fewest people in radon Affected Areas | 175 middle areas, Belfast · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 97.4% | joint 76th lowest | 175 middle areas, Belfast · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 4.7% | 62nd highest | 175 middle areas, Belfast · Aug 2026 |

## Is Castle L safe? What police records show

In the 12 months to August 2026, police recorded crimes and anti-social behaviour in Castle L at a rate of 151.2 per 1,000 people.
That compares with 128.5 per 1,000 people across Belfast.
Across Northern Ireland as a whole, the recorded crime rate was 70.2 per 1,000 people.
In August 2026 alone, 33 cases of crime and anti-social behaviour were recorded in Castle L.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the most common types were violence and sexual offences (103), anti-social behaviour (95) and shoplifting (28).
Worked out by Open Index from police.uk crime records and ONS and NISRA population estimates.
Rates are per resident, so places that many people work in or visit, such as Westminster, the City of London and other city centres, have far higher rates than their residents alone would suggest.

## Figures for the whole of Belfast

These figures are published for the whole of Belfast, not for each middle area, so they describe all of Belfast and not Castle L alone. [See Belfast](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast)

- **Average house price: £184,768** (July 2026). Belfast’s average house price was £184,768 in July 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 7.7% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, July 2026. Published 16 September 2026.
- **Population estimate: 351,927** (2025). Belfast’s population was an estimated 351,927 in mid-2025 (ONS population estimates). Down 0.1% in a year. Source: Mid-year population estimates, 2025. Published 1 October 2026.
- **Female life expectancy: 80.5 years** (2022 to 2024). A baby girl born in Belfast could expect to live 80.5 years, based on deaths in 2022 to 2024 (ONS life expectancy). UK 83.0 years. Source: Life expectancy for local areas of the UK, 2022 to 2024. Published 10 December 2025.
- **Full-fibre broadband coverage: 92.3%** (January 2026). In Belfast, 92.3% of homes and businesses could get full-fibre broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 81.0%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026.

## Castle L in brief

Castle L had 2,040 usual residents at the census.
About 0% of people in Castle L live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In Castle L, 97.4% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In Castle L, 4.7% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Middle area
- Code: N21000189
- Ward: [Chichester Park †](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/ward/chichester-park)
- Constituency: [Belfast North †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/belfast-north)
- Council: [Belfast](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast)
- Nation: [Northern Ireland](https://openindex.co.uk/northern-ireland)
- Area: 0.34 km²
- People, mid-2024: 2,070*
- Neighbourhoods: 5

* People: worked out by Open Index by adding up the neighbourhood estimates inside this area.
† Best fit: the ward and constituency this middle area mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow theirs.

## Next door

[Castle J](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-j), [Oldpark G](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/oldpark-g), [Castle R](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-r), [Castle N](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-n), [Castle H](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-h), [Castle D](https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-d)

## Latest updates for Castle L

- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) updated: Defra · Oct 2026.
- 2025 population published: ONS population estimates · Oct 2026.
- August 2026 crime published: Police.uk · Sep 2026.
- July 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Sep 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/N21000189

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-l, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-l#f-population.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.8, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23508850. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/belfast/castle-l