# Central Luton

South east Luton. 8,529 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 1.0 square kilometre.

Central Luton had 6,383 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021).

Middle area. Code E02006938. In: [East of England](https://openindex.co.uk/east-of-england) › [Luton](https://openindex.co.uk/luton)

## Key figures

- **Population: 6,383** (2021). Central Luton had 6,383 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021). Joint 3,323rd 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/luton/central-luton#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 100%** (2022). About 100% of people in Central Luton 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/luton/central-luton#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 93.7%** (January 2026). In Central Luton, 93.7% 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/luton/central-luton#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 9.3%** (August 2026). In Central Luton, 9.3% 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/luton/central-luton#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=E02006938) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 100% of people in Central Luton live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Sales per year by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-sales-per-year?place=E02006938) (Worked out by Open Index · 2025): 8 homes were sold in Central Luton in 2025.
- [Crime and ASB by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/recorded-crime?place=E02006938) (Police recorded crime and outcomes (data.police.uk) · August 2026): Crime and anti-social behaviour for Central Luton.
- [Population by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=E02006938) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Central Luton had 6,383 usual residents at the census.

## Recorded crime in Central Luton

In the 12 months to August 2026, police recorded crimes and anti-social behaviour in Central Luton at a rate of 391.8 per 1,000 people.
That compares with 93.2 per 1,000 people across Luton.
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 | 997 |
| Other crime | 670 |
| Anti-social behaviour | 453 |
| Shoplifting | 351 |
| Drug offences | 239 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 181 |
| Vehicle crime | 180 |
| Theft from the person | 101 |
| Burglary | 89 |
| Robbery | 81 |

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

## How Central Luton compares

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

| Measure | Central Luton | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 6,383 | least populated | 22 middle areas, Luton · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 100% | joint most people in radon Affected Areas | 22 middle areas, Luton · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 93.7% | lowest | 22 middle areas, Luton · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 9.3% | 2nd highest | 22 middle areas, Luton · Aug 2026 |

## Is Central Luton safe? What police records show

In the 12 months to August 2026, police recorded crimes and anti-social behaviour in Central Luton at a rate of 391.8 per 1,000 people.
That compares with 93.2 per 1,000 people across Luton.
Across England as a whole, the recorded crime rate was 96.3 per 1,000 people.
In August 2026 alone, 269 cases of crime and anti-social behaviour were recorded in Central Luton.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the most common types were violence and sexual offences (997), other crime (670) and anti-social behaviour (453).
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 Luton

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

- **Average house price: £284,946** (July 2026). Luton’s average house price was £284,946 in July 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 0.5% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, July 2026. Published 16 September 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £34,732** (2025). Full-time workers living in Luton earned a median of £34,732 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 51st lowest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 8.2×** (2025). A home in Luton costs 8.2 times local full-time pay. Joint 123rd least affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 16 September 2026.
- **Deprivation score: 29.5** (2025). Luton has a deprivation score of 29.5 in the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG). 45th most deprived of 296. Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025, 2025. Published 30 October 2025.

## Central Luton in brief

Central Luton had 6,383 usual residents at the census.
About 100% of people in Central Luton live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In Central Luton, 93.7% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In Central Luton, 9.3% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Middle area
- Code: E02006938
- Ward: [Central †](https://openindex.co.uk/luton/ward/central)
- Constituency: [Luton South and South Bedfordshire †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/luton-south-and-south-bedfordshire)
- Council: [Luton](https://openindex.co.uk/luton)
- Region: [East of England](https://openindex.co.uk/east-of-england)
- Nation: [England](https://openindex.co.uk/england)
- Area: 0.95 km²
- People, mid-2024: 8,529*
- Neighbourhoods: 4
- Output areas: 22

* 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

[New Town](https://openindex.co.uk/luton/new-town), [High Town](https://openindex.co.uk/luton/high-town), [St Anns Hill](https://openindex.co.uk/luton/st-anns-hill), [Dallow Road](https://openindex.co.uk/luton/dallow-road), [Bury Park](https://openindex.co.uk/luton/bury-park)

## Latest updates for Central Luton

- Dental practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.
- GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Department for Education · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/E02006938

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/luton/central-luton, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/luton/central-luton#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/luton/central-luton