2011 Census – Household composition
Headlines
- The number of households in Surrey has increased by 5.2% since 2001
- Average household size has increased in almost all of the districts and boroughs in Surrey, reversing a long established trend
- More than a quarter of households contain one person living alone, although the proportion has fallen slightly since 2001
- Three in ten households contain at least one dependent child
- One in eight households contain a child under 5 years old
- The proportion of lone parent households with dependent children increased from 4.0% to 4.7% between 2001 and 2011
Households
A household is defined as one person living alone, or a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address who share cooking facilities and share a living room, sitting room or dining area.
The 2011 Census recorded 455,791 households in Surrey, an increase of 5.2% since 2001. The biggest increase was in Epsom & Ewell (8.9%) and the smallest in Spelthorne (2.9%). The increase in the number of households was smaller in Surrey than in England as a whole where there was a 7.9% increase.
Table 1: Number of households by Local Authority – 2001 and 2011
| 2001 Census | 2011 Census | Change | % Change | |
| Surrey | 433,176 | 455,791 | 22,615 | 5.2% |
| Elmbridge | 50,621 | 52,922 | 2,301 | 4.5% |
| Epsom & Ewell | 27,362 | 29,784 | 2,422 | 8.9% |
| Guildford | 52,350 | 53,973 | 1,623 | 3.1% |
| Mole Valley | 33,620 | 35,828 | 2,208 | 6.6% |
| Reigate & Banstead | 51,694 | 55,423 | 3,729 | 7.2% |
| Runnymede | 31,656 | 32,714 | 1,058 | 3.3% |
| Spelthorne | 38,392 | 39,512 | 1,120 | 2.9% |
| Surrey Heath | 31,721 | 33,546 | 1,825 | 5.8% |
| Tandridge | 31,640 | 33,342 | 1,702 | 5.4% |
| Waverley | 47,176 | 49,280 | 2,104 | 4.5% |
| Woking | 36,941 | 39,467 | 2,526 | 6.8% |
| South East | 3,287,489 | 3,555,463 | 267,974 | 8.2% |
| England | 20,451,427 | 22,063,368 | 1,611,941 | 7.9% |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Figure 1: Percentage change in number of households, 2001 to 2011
Source: Office for National Statistics
Household size
The average household size in Surrey increased from 2.38 in 2001 to 2.43 in 2011. This reverses a long established trend of decreasing household size. Average household size increased in all districts except Mole Valley and Tandridge, with the biggest increases in Epsom & Ewell and Woking. Average household size in England as a whole remained unchanged at 2.36.
More than a third (34.4%) of Surrey’s households contain 2 people and over a quarter (27.3%) are one person living alone. Larger households are more prevalent in England as a whole where 2.4% of households contain 6 or more people compared to the Surrey figure of 1.7%. The borough with the highest proportion of households with 6 or more people is Woking (2.5%)
Table 2: Average household size by Local Authority, 2001 and 2011
| 2001 Census | 2011 Census | |
| Surrey | 2.38 | 2.43 |
| Elmbridge | 2.38 | 2.45 |
| Epsom & Ewell | 2.41 | 2.49 |
| Guildford | 2.37 | 2.43 |
| Mole Valley | 2.35 | 2.34 |
| Reigate & Banstead | 2.38 | 2.42 |
| Runnymede | 2.34 | 2.36 |
| Spelthorne | 2.34 | 2.4 |
| Surrey Heath | 2.48 | 2.52 |
| Tandridge | 2.44 | 2.43 |
| Waverley | 2.36 | 2.38 |
| Woking | 2.41 | 2.49 |
| South East | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| England | 2.36 | 2.36 |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Table 3: Household size by Local Authority, 2011
| 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 or more people | |
| Surrey | 27.3% | 34.4% | 15.9% | 15.7% | 5.0% | 1.7% |
| Elmbridge | 27.5% | 33.0% | 15.5% | 17.2% | 5.2% | 1.6% |
| Epsom & Ewell | 26.0% | 33.0% | 16.7% | 17.4% | 5.2% | 1.7% |
| Guildford | 26.7% | 35.0% | 16.1% | 15.5% | 5.0% | 1.6% |
| Mole Valley | 29.2% | 35.5% | 14.8% | 14.3% | 4.6% | 1.5% |
| Reigate & Banstead | 27.4% | 34.2% | 16.0% | 15.8% | 4.9% | 1.7% |
| Runnymede | 30.1% | 33.3% | 15.8% | 14.4% | 4.7% | 1.8% |
| Spelthorne | 28.5% | 33.3% | 16.9% | 14.7% | 4.9% | 1.7% |
| Surrey Heath | 23.5% | 35.6% | 16.5% | 17.2% | 5.3% | 2.0% |
| Tandridge | 26.7% | 35.4% | 15.4% | 15.8% | 4.9% | 1.8% |
| Waverley | 27.8% | 36.1% | 15.1% | 14.5% | 5.0% | 1.5% |
| Woking | 26.6% | 33.3% | 16.3% | 15.9% | 5.4% | 2.5% |
| South East | 28.8% | 35.1% | 15.5% | 13.9% | 4.7% | 2.0% |
| England | 30.2% | 34.2% | 15.6% | 13.0% | 4.7% | 2.4% |
Source: Office for National Statistics
People living alone
More than a quarter (27.3%) of Surrey’s households comprise of one person living alone. This proportion has fallen slightly since 2001 when 28.3% of households were a single person. The borough with the highest percentage of one person households is Runnymede (30.1%) and the lowest is Surrey Heath (23.5%). The proportion is lower than in England as a whole where 30.2% of households contain just one person. Households comprising one person aged over 65 only account for 12.6% of households. The highest proportion is in Mole Valley (14.7%) and the lowest in Surrey Heath (10.9%). The proportion of these households has fallen since 2001 when 14.3% comprised one person age 65 plus living alone.
Table 4: One person households by Local Authority, 2001 and 2011
| One person household: Total | One person household: Aged 65+ | |||||
| 2001 Census | 2011 Census | change | 2001 Census | 2011 Census | change | |
| Surrey | 28.3% | 27.3% | -1.0% | 14.3% | 12.6% | -1.7% |
| Elmbridge | 29.0% | 27.5% | -1.5% | 15.1% | 12.7% | -2.4% |
| Epsom & Ewell | 26.9% | 26.0% | -0.9% | 14.9% | 12.6% | -2.3% |
| Guildford | 29.1% | 26.7% | -2.3% | 13.7% | 11.4% | -2.3% |
| Mole Valley | 28.9% | 29.2% | 0.3% | 16.0% | 14.7% | -1.3% |
| Reigate & Banstead | 29.1% | 27.4% | -1.7% | 14.4% | 12.1% | -2.3% |
| Runnymede | 29.6% | 30.1% | 0.5% | 14.8% | 13.3% | -1.5% |
| Spelthorne | 29.5% | 28.5% | -1.0% | 14.1% | 12.7% | -1.3% |
| Surrey Heath | 23.7% | 23.5% | -0.3% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 0.0% |
| Tandridge | 27.0% | 26.7% | -0.2% | 14.7% | 13.1% | -1.6% |
| Waverley | 28.2% | 27.8% | -0.4% | 15.3% | 14.2% | -1.0% |
| Woking | 28.3% | 26.6% | -1.7% | 12.9% | 11.4% | -1.5% |
| South East | 28.5% | 28.8% | 0.3% | 14.4% | 12.7% | -1.7% |
| England | 30.1% | 30.2% | 0.1% | 14.4% | 12.4% | -2.0% |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Figure 2: All one person households by Local Authority, 2001 and 2011
Source: Office for National Statistics
Figure 3: Households comprising one person aged over 65 by Local Authority, 2001 and 2011
Source: Office for National Statistics
Households with dependent children
Almost a third (30.4%) of households in Surrey contain dependent children, with 18% having at least 2 dependent children. The borough with the highest proportion of households with dependent children is Elmbridge (33.4%) and the lowest is Runnymede (27.7%). The proportion is slightly higher than in England as a whole where 29.1% of households have dependent children, but nationally a higher proportion have just one child, 13.1% compared with 12.3% in Surrey. The proportion of households with dependent children has increased since 2001 when 28.9% of households contained dependent children.
Nearly one in eight (12.1%) households contain children under 5. The highest proportion is in Woking (14.1%) and the lowest in Mole Valley (9.9%). The proportion is slightly higher than in 2001 when 11.3% of households contained children under 5.
Table 5: Households with dependent children by Local Authority, 2011
| Households with one dependent child |
Households with 2 or more dependent children |
All households with dependent children |
% of households with children who have only one child |
households with children under 5 |
|
| Surrey | 12.5% | 18.0% | 30.4% | 41.0% | 12.1% |
| Elmbridge | 13.0% | 20.4% | 33.4% | 39.0% | 13.5% |
| Epsom & Ewell | 12.8% | 19.0% | 31.9% | 40.3% | 12.2% |
| Guildford | 12.1% | 16.9% | 29.0% | 41.7% | 11.6% |
| Mole Valley | 11.1% | 17.0% | 28.1% | 39.5% | 9.9% |
| Reigate & Banstead | 12.9% | 18.2% | 31.1% | 41.5% | 12.8% |
| Runnymede | 12.3% | 15.4% | 27.7% | 44.3% | 11.5% |
| Spelthorne | 13.5% | 16.0% | 29.5% | 45.8% | 12.1% |
| Surrey Heath | 12.8% | 19.4% | 32.2% | 39.8% | 11.9% |
| Tandridge | 12.3% | 18.1% | 30.4% | 40.6% | 11.4% |
| Waverley | 11.2% | 18.0% | 29.3% | 38.3% | 11.3% |
| Woking | 13.2% | 18.7% | 31.9% | 41.4% | 14.1% |
| South East | 12.7% | 16.7% | 29.4% | 43.2% | 11.8% |
| England | 13.1% | 16.0% | 29.1% | 45.1% | 11.8% |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Figure 4: Households with dependent children by Local Authority, 2011
Source: Office for National Statistics
Figure 5: Households with children under 5 by Local Authority, 2011
Source: Office for National Statistics
Table 6: Households with dependent children by Local Authority, 2001 and 2011
| households with dependent children | households with children under 5 | |||||
| 2001 Census | 2011 Census | change | 2001 Census | 2011 Census | change | |
| Surrey | 28.9% | 30.4% | 1.6% | 11.3% | 12.1% | 0.8% |
| Elmbridge | 30.8% | 33.4% | 2.6% | 12.4% | 13.5% | 1.1% |
| Epsom & Ewell | 29.6% | 31.9% | 2.3% | 11.4% | 12.2% | 0.8% |
| Guildford | 27.1% | 29.0% | 1.9% | 10.5% | 11.6% | 1.1% |
| Mole Valley | 27.2% | 28.1% | 0.9% | 10.4% | 9.9% | -0.5% |
| Reigate & Banstead | 28.9% | 31.1% | 2.1% | 11.6% | 12.8% | 1.2% |
| Runnymede | 26.9% | 27.7% | 0.8% | 10.7% | 11.5% | 0.8% |
| Spelthorne | 27.8% | 29.5% | 1.7% | 10.9% | 12.1% | 1.2% |
| Surrey Heath | 32.0% | 32.2% | 0.2% | 12.3% | 11.9% | -0.4% |
| Tandridge | 29.9% | 30.4% | 0.5% | 11.6% | 11.4% | -0.3% |
| Waverley | 27.6% | 29.3% | 1.7% | 10.6% | 11.3% | 0.7% |
| Woking | 30.6% | 31.9% | 1.3% | 12.1% | 14.1% | 2.0% |
| South East | 29.2% | 29.4% | 0.2% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 0.4% |
| England | 29.5% | 29.1% | -0.3% | 11.4% | 11.8% | 0.4% |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Lone parent households with dependent children
Less than one in twenty (4.7%) of households in Surrey are lone parents with dependent children. Most have only one child (2.6% of all households). The borough with the highest proportion of lone parent households is Spelthorne (5.6%) and the lowest is Waverley (4.1%). The proportion of lone parent households is lower than in England as a whole where 7.1% of households are lone parents with dependent children. The proportion of lone parent households with dependent children has increased since 2001 when they comprised 4.0% of households.
Table 7: Lone parent households with dependent children by Local Authority, 2011
| Lone Parent; One Dependent Child |
Lone Parent; Two or More Dependent Children |
|
| Surrey | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| Elmbridge | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| Epsom & Ewell | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Guildford | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Mole Valley | 2.2% | 2.0% |
| Reigate & Banstead | 2.9% | 2.3% |
| Runnymede | 2.8% | 2.1% |
| Spelthorne | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Surrey Heath | 2.2% | 2.0% |
| Tandridge | 2.7% | 2.1% |
| Waverley | 2.1% | 2.0% |
| Woking | 2.5% | 2.0% |
| South East | 3.3% | 2.7% |
| England | 4.0% | 3.1% |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Figure 6: Lone parent households with dependent children by Local Authority, 2011
Source: Office for National Statistics
Table 8: Lone parent households with dependent children by Local Authority, 2001 and 2011
| lone parent households with dependent children | |||
| 2001 Census | 2011 Census | change | |
| Surrey | 4.0% | 4.7% | 0.7% |
| Elmbridge | 4.5% | 4.7% | 0.2% |
| Epsom & Ewell | 4.6% | 5.0% | 0.4% |
| Guildford | 3.6% | 4.2% | 0.6% |
| Mole Valley | 3.4% | 4.2% | 0.8% |
| Reigate & Banstead | 3.6% | 5.1% | 1.5% |
| Runnymede | 4.1% | 4.9% | 0.8% |
| Spelthorne | 4.7% | 5.6% | 0.9% |
| Surrey Heath | 4.2% | 4.2% | 0.0% |
| Tandridge | 3.3% | 4.8% | 1.5% |
| Waverley | 3.7% | 4.1% | 0.4% |
| Woking | 4.6% | 4.6% | -0.1% |
| South East | 5.2% | 6.1% | 0.9% |
| England | 6.4% | 7.1% | 0.7% |
Source: Office for National Statistics
Figure 7: Lone parent households with dependent children by Local Authority, 2001 and 2011
Source: Office for National Statistics