# Most and least densely populated places in East of England (2021)

Luton was the most densely populated of East of England’s 45 councils in 2021 (population density 5,196 per km²).

North Norfolk was the least densely populated (106 per km²). The middle council, Brentwood, had 503 per km².

Worked out by Open Index from census population counts and the area of each place.

| Rank | Area | Population density |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Luton](https://openindex.co.uk/luton) | 5,196 per km² |
| 2 | [Watford](https://openindex.co.uk/watford) | 4,771 per km² |
| 3 | [Southend-on-Sea](https://openindex.co.uk/southend-on-sea) | 4,336 per km² |
| 4 | [Norwich](https://openindex.co.uk/norwich) | 3,690 per km² |
| 5 | [Cambridge](https://openindex.co.uk/cambridge) | 3,579 per km² |
| 6 | [Ipswich](https://openindex.co.uk/ipswich) | 3,535 per km² |
| 7 | [Stevenage](https://openindex.co.uk/stevenage) | 3,446 per km² |
| 8 | [Harlow](https://openindex.co.uk/harlow) | 3,056 per km² |
| 9 | [Castle Point](https://openindex.co.uk/castle-point) | 2,006 per km² |
| 10 | [Broxbourne](https://openindex.co.uk/broxbourne) | 1,924 per km² |
| 11 | [Basildon](https://openindex.co.uk/basildon) | 1,705 per km² |
| 12 | [Thurrock](https://openindex.co.uk/thurrock) | 1,074 per km² |
| 13 | [Hertsmere](https://openindex.co.uk/hertsmere) | 1,066 per km² |
| 14 | [Three Rivers](https://openindex.co.uk/three-rivers) | 1,056 per km² |
| 15 | [Welwyn Hatfield](https://openindex.co.uk/welwyn-hatfield) | 925 per km² |
| 16 | [St Albans](https://openindex.co.uk/st-albans) | 919 per km² |
| 17 | [Dacorum](https://openindex.co.uk/dacorum) | 730 per km² |
| 18 | [Peterborough](https://openindex.co.uk/peterborough) | 628 per km² |
| 19 | [Colchester](https://openindex.co.uk/colchester) | 580 per km² |
| 20 | [Great Yarmouth](https://openindex.co.uk/great-yarmouth) | 572 per km² |
| 21 | [Chelmsford](https://openindex.co.uk/chelmsford) | 530 per km² |
| 22 | [Rochford](https://openindex.co.uk/rochford) | 513 per km² |
| 23 | [Brentwood](https://openindex.co.uk/brentwood) | 503 per km² |
| 24 | [Tendring](https://openindex.co.uk/tendring) | 441 per km² |
| 25 | [Central Bedfordshire](https://openindex.co.uk/central-bedfordshire) | 411 per km² |
| 26 | [Epping Forest](https://openindex.co.uk/epping-forest) | 398 per km² |
| 27 | [Bedford](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford) | 389 per km² |
| 28 | [North Hertfordshire](https://openindex.co.uk/north-hertfordshire) | 355 per km² |
| 29 | [East Hertfordshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-hertfordshire) | 316 per km² |
| 30 | [Braintree](https://openindex.co.uk/braintree) | 254 per km² |
| 31 | [Broadland](https://openindex.co.uk/broadland) | 239 per km² |
| 32 | [Huntingdonshire](https://openindex.co.uk/huntingdonshire) | 198 per km² |
| 33 | [East Suffolk](https://openindex.co.uk/east-suffolk) | 195 per km² |
| 34 | [Fenland](https://openindex.co.uk/fenland) | 188 per km² |
| 35 | [Maldon](https://openindex.co.uk/maldon) | 185 per km² |
| 36 | [South Cambridgeshire](https://openindex.co.uk/south-cambridgeshire) | 180 per km² |
| 37 | [West Suffolk](https://openindex.co.uk/west-suffolk) | 174 per km² |
| 38 | [South Norfolk](https://openindex.co.uk/south-norfolk) | 156 per km² |
| 39 | [Babergh](https://openindex.co.uk/babergh) | 155 per km² |
| 40 | [Uttlesford](https://openindex.co.uk/uttlesford) | 142 per km² |
| 41 | [East Cambridgeshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-cambridgeshire) | 135 per km² |
| 42 | [Mid Suffolk](https://openindex.co.uk/mid-suffolk) | 118 per km² |
| 43 | [Breckland](https://openindex.co.uk/breckland) | 108 per km² |
| 44 | [King's Lynn and West Norfolk](https://openindex.co.uk/kings-lynn-and-west-norfolk) | 107 per km² |
| 45 | [North Norfolk](https://openindex.co.uk/north-norfolk) | 106 per km² |

Source: Worked out by Open Index from census population counts and the area of each place. Period: 2021. Period: 2021.

## Other rankings of this measure

- [UK](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/uk)
- [England](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/england)
- [Northern Ireland](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/northern-ireland)
- [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/scotland)
- [Wales](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/wales)
- [North East](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/north-east)
- [North West](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/north-west)
- [Yorkshire and The Humber](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/yorkshire-and-the-humber)
- [East Midlands](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/east-midlands)
- [West Midlands](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/west-midlands)
- [London](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/london)
- [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/south-east)
- [South West](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/south-west)

- [The map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population-density)
- [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/population-density)

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/east-of-england.

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 2026.10.11. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/population-density/east-of-england