Rayleigh and Wickford
§ This page provides a baseview of UK constituency, bringing together various information and resources to help you better understand the area of Rayleigh and Wickford.
Overview ⁞ In south Essex, Rayleigh and Wickford combine commuter towns, residential suburbs, and rural fringes. Rayleigh offers historic buildings and a bustling high street, while Wickford features modern housing and good rail links to London Liverpool Street. The A127 and A130 connect the area to Southend, Chelmsford, and London, with parks and greenbelt land providing open spaces.
Constituency Map and Boundary Information
Below is an interactive map showing the boundary of the Rayleigh and Wickford parliamentary constituency. The boundary data is sourced from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), using the latest official geographic definitions.
You can explore official statistics for this area on the ONS Explore Local Statistics page, or view its location on the UK Parliament constituency map.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary data: Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2024; Contains Office for National Statistics data © ONS 2024, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Wards in Rayleigh and Wickford
Rayleigh and Wickford is divided into 13 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Castledon & Crouch
- Downhall and Rawreth
- Hawkwell East
- Hawkwell West
- Hockley
- Hockley and Ashingdon
- Hullbridge
- Lodge
- Sweyne Park and Grange
- Trinity
- Wheatley
- Wickford North
- Wickford Park
Rayleigh and Wickford is a constituency that covers these wards in Basildon / Rochford.
Population by age group
The most recent data for constituencies in England and Wales comes from mid-year estimates for 2022. This tells us what the population was estimated to be on 30 June 2022.
| Age Band | Constituency (Number) | Constituency (%) | Region (Number) | Region (%) | England & Wales (Number) | England & Wales (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 17 | 19,362 | 19.83% | 1,348,369 | 21.07% | 12,506,535 | 20.76% |
| 18 to 24 | 6,399 | 6.55% | 465,497 | 7.28% | 5,008,522 | 8.31% |
| 25 to 34 | 10,993 | 11.26% | 810,089 | 12.66% | 8,098,257 | 13.44% |
| 35 to 49 | 17,749 | 18.18% | 1,242,589 | 19.42% | 11,575,752 | 19.22% |
| 50 to 64 | 20,716 | 21.21% | 1,261,140 | 19.71% | 11,745,365 | 19.50% |
| 65 and over | 22,435 | 22.97% | 1,270,813 | 19.86% | 11,303,607 | 18.76% |
Population by ethnic group
The most recent census asked people about their ethnic group. The census was carried out in March 2021 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and in March 2022 in Scotland.
| Ethnic Group | Constituency (Number) | Constituency (%) | Region (%) | England & Wales (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British | 89,462 | 92.71% | 78.49% | 74.42% |
| Other White | 1,494 | 1.55% | 6.78% | 6.15% |
| African | 636 | 0.66% | 1.87% | 2.50% |
| Irish | 605 | 0.63% | 0.91% | 0.85% |
| Indian | 588 | 0.61% | 2.16% | 3.13% |
| White and Black Caribbean | 576 | 0.60% | 0.82% | 0.86% |
| White and Asian | 567 | 0.59% | 0.81% | 0.82% |
| Other Asian | 433 | 0.45% | 1.27% | 1.63% |
| Other Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups | 379 | 0.39% | 0.77% | 0.78% |
| Any other ethnic group | 341 | 0.35% | 1.11% | 1.55% |
| Chinese | 324 | 0.34% | 0.61% | 0.75% |
| White and Black African | 235 | 0.24% | 0.43% | 0.42% |
| Caribbean | 233 | 0.24% | 0.66% | 1.05% |
| Pakistani | 157 | 0.16% | 1.57% | 2.66% |
| Bangladeshi | 140 | 0.15% | 0.80% | 1.08% |
| Other Black | 136 | 0.14% | 0.38% | 0.50% |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 121 | 0.13% | 0.14% | 0.11% |
| Arab | 41 | 0.04% | 0.25% | 0.56% |
| Roma | 33 | 0.03% | 0.15% | 0.17% |
Rayleigh and Wickford compared with other constituencies
Rayleigh and Wickford has a population of 99,804 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS). The population of the UK is 69,281,400 as of mid-2024. There are 650 constituencies, so the average population per constituency is around 106,600.
Compared with the other 649 constituencies, Rayleigh and Wickford has a population higher than 144, lower than 376, and similar to 130 constituencies (±2,500, including itself).
ONS Local Statistics for this Constituency
Understanding the social and economic characteristics of this constituency helps residents, community groups, researchers and businesses gain a clearer picture of the local area. ONS provides a wide set of local indicators that describe who lives here, how people work, their health, housing conditions and more.
Below, we highlight three useful measures — Household Deprivation, General Health, and Economic Activity Status — as an accessible introduction to the overall profile of Rayleigh and Wickford. These indicators offer a quick snapshot of living conditions, wellbeing and employment patterns.
Go to this ONS web page to explore all local indicators and build your custom profile for Rayleigh and Wickford.
ONS provides datasets of 38 indicators across six themes, covering a comprehensive range of local statistics for Rayleigh and Wickford:
- Demography and migration: Population, Number of households, Age profile, Sex, Live births, Deaths, Legal partnership status, Country of birth, Passports held, Length of residence in the UK, Household size, Household composition, Household deprivation.
- Economy: Distance travelled to work, Method of travel to workplace, Economic activity status, Employment history, Occupation, Socio-economic classification (NS-SeC), Hours per week worked.
- Education and skills: Highest level of qualification, Schoolchildren and full-time students.
- Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion: Ethnic group, National identity, Religion, Proficiency in English.
- Health and wellbeing: General health, Disability, Provision of unpaid care.
- Housing: Residential property sales, Energy efficiency of housing, Accommodation type, Number of cars or vans, Central heating, Number of bedrooms, Occupancy rating, Tenure of household, Second address indicator.
These indicators provide a well-rounded picture of Rayleigh and Wickford and allow you to compare local characteristics with other areas across the UK. The embedded charts just show a simplified starting point, and you are encouraged to explore the full ONS datasets for further detail.