This list of built-up areas for England was compiled by the Office for National Statistics after the 2021 UK Census. Built-up area boundaries are defined and named by the ONS. (In ONS reports of the 2011 and 2021 censuses, many of these areas were called "built-up sub-areas" of larger urban areas; as of October 2024, the ONS has not defined a new nomenclature for the urban areas or released any data for them.)
Classifications
Population range | BUA classed as | Approximate settlement type |
---|---|---|
200,000+ | major | cities |
75,000-199,999 | large | large towns or smaller cities |
20,000-74,999 | medium | medium towns |
5,000-19,999 | small | larger village or small town |
0-4,999 | minor | hamlet or village |
Major
LondonBirminghamBradfordBrighton and HoveBristolCoventryDerbyKingston upon HullLeedsLeicesterLiverpoolLutonManchesterMilton KeynesNewcastle-upon-TyneNorthamptonNorwichNottinghamPlymouthPortsmouthReadingSheffieldSouthamptonStoke-on-TrentWolverhamptonclass=notpageimage| Location of major BUAs in EnglandThe ONS has classified all built-up areas with a population of at least 200,000 as "major". Most are cities, with three large towns (Luton, Northampton and Reading) included. (Conversely, there are many settlements that have city status but do not reach the threshold.)
# | Built-up area | 2021 Population | County | Related places | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ONS | Citypopulation | ||||
1 | London | — | 8,776,535 | Greater London City of London |
|
2 | Birmingham | 1,121,375 | 1,121,408 | West Midlands | |
3 | Leeds | 536,280 | 536,321 | West Yorkshire | |
4 | Liverpool | 506,565 | 506,552 | Merseyside | |
5 | Sheffield | 500,535 | 500,552 | South Yorkshire | |
6 | Manchester | 470,405 | 470,411 | Greater Manchester | |
7 | Bristol | 425,215 | 425,232 | Bristol | |
8 | Leicester | 406,580 | 406,588 | Leicestershire | |
9 | Coventry | 344,285 | 344,322 | West Midlands | |
10 | Bradford | 333,950 | 333,931 | West Yorkshire |
|
11 | Nottingham | 299,790 | 299,797 | Nottinghamshire | |
12 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 286,445 | 286,468 | Tyne and Wear | |
13 | Brighton and Hove | 277,105 | 277,106 | East Sussex | |
14 | Derby | 275,575 | 275,599 | Derbyshire | |
15 | Kingston upon Hull | 270,810 | 270,806 | East Riding of Yorkshire |
|
16 | Plymouth | 266,955 | 266,983 | Devon | |
17 | Milton Keynes | 197,340 | 197,354 | Buckinghamshire | |
18 | Stoke-on-Trent | 260,560 | 260,602 | Staffordshire | |
19 | Southampton | 249,620 | 249,604 | Hampshire | |
20 | Northampton | 243,520 | 243,511 | Northamptonshire |
|
21 | Wolverhampton | 234,025 | 234,015 | West Midlands | |
22 | Luton | 233,525 | 233,498 | Bedfordshire |
|
23 | Portsmouth | 223,305 | 223,312 | Hampshire | |
24 | Reading | 203,795 | 203,808 | Berkshire | |
25 | Norwich | 200,770 | 200,752 | Norfolk |
Large
BournemouthPeterboroughBoltonSwindonSouthend-on-SeaWarringtonOxfordSunderlandSloughKingswood & FishpondsTelfordCambridgeMilton KeynesIpswichBlackpoolMiddlesbroughYorkHuddersfieldPooleWatfordColchesterExeterBlackburnCrawleyclass=notpageimage| Location of large BUAs in England down to CrawleyThe ONS classified all built-up areas between 199,999 and 75,000 as large-sized, most include large towns or smaller cities.
# | Built-up area | 2021 Population | County | Related places | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ONS | Citypopulation | ||||
26 | Bournemouth | 196,455 | 196,445 | Dorset | |
27 | Peterborough | 190,605 | 190,584 | Cambridgeshire |
|
28 | Bolton | 184,090 | 184,073 | Greater Manchester |
|
29 | Swindon | 183,680 | 183,638 | Wiltshire | |
30 | Southend-on-Sea | 182,305 | 182,287 | Essex | |
31 | Warrington | 174,970 | 174,954 | Cheshire |
|
32 | Oxford | 170,805 | 170,798 | Oxfordshire |
|
33 | Sunderland | 168,315 | 168,277 | Tyne and Wear | |
34 | Slough | 166,855 | 166,877 | Berkshire | |
35 | Kingswood and Fishponds | 160,270 | 160,260 | Gloucestershire and Bristol |
|
36 | Telford | 156,910 | 156,896 | Shropshire |
|
37 | Cambridge | 152,740 | 152,725 | Cambridgeshire |
|
38 | Ipswich | 151,565 | 151,562 | Suffolk |
|
39 | Blackpool | 149,070 | 149,056 | Lancashire |
|
40 | Middlesbrough | 148,215 | 148,219 | North Yorkshire | |
41 | York | 141,685 | 141,671 | North Yorkshire |
|
42 | Huddersfield | 141,675 | 141,692 | West Yorkshire |
|
43 | Poole | 141,005 | 140,977 | Dorset | |
44 | Watford | 131,325 | 131,326 | Hertfordshire |
|
45 | Colchester | 130,245 | 130,248 | Essex |
|
46 | Exeter | 126,175 | 126,156 | Devon |
|
47 | Blackburn | 124,955 | 124,983 | Lancashire |
|
48 | Crawley | 120,550 | 120,549 | West Sussex | |
49 | Gloucester | 118,555 | 118,541 | Gloucestershire |
|
50 | Stockport | 117,935 | 117,941 | Greater Manchester | |
51 | Basingstoke | 117,210 | 117,207 | Hampshire |
|
52 | Basildon | 115,955 | 115,964 | Essex | |
53 | Cheltenham | 115,940 | 115,959 | Gloucestershire |
|
54 | Gateshead | 115,280 | 115,316 | Tyne and Wear | |
55 | Worthing | 111,620 | 111,621 | West Sussex | |
56 | Rochdale | 111,255 | 111,261 | Greater Manchester |
|
57 | Oldham | 110,720 | 110,718 | Greater Manchester | |
58 | Chelmsford | 110,625 | 110,606 | Essex |
|
59 | Birkenhead | 109,835 | 109,848 | Merseyside |
|
60 | Maidstone | 109,490 | 109,490 | Kent |
|
61 | Gillingham | 108,480 | 108,483 | Kent |
|
62 | Salford | 108,410 | 108,409 | Greater Manchester | |
63 | Solihull | 107,735 | 107,728 | West Midlands |
|
64 | St Helens | 107,680 | 107,677 | Merseyside | |
65 | Worcester | 105,465 | 105,455 | Worcestershire | |
66 | Lincoln | 104,555 | 104,565 | Lincolnshire | |
67 | West Bromwich | 103,110 | 103,112 | West Midlands |
|
68 | Eastbourne | 99,180 | 99,189 | East Sussex |
|
69 | Wakefield | 97,870 | 97,852 | West Yorkshire |
|
70 | Wythenshawe | 97,660 | 97,635 | Greater Manchester |
|
71 | Bedford | 97,235 | 97,241 | Bedfordshire | |
72 | Hemel Hempstead | 95,985 | 95,961 | Hertfordshire | |
73 | Preston | 94,490 | 94,508 | Lancashire | |
74 | Stevenage | 94,470 | 94,456 | Hertfordshire |
|
75 | Southport | 94,440 | 94,421 | Merseyside |
|
76 | Bath | 94,080 | 94,092 | Somerset |
|
77 | Harlow | 93,580 | 93,566 | Essex | |
78 | Royal Sutton Coldfield | 93,375 | 93,369 | West Midlands |
|
79 | Darlington | 93,015 | 93,037 | County Durham | |
80 | Chester | 92,760 | 92,742 | Cheshire |
|
81 | Hastings | 91,490 | 91,480 | East Sussex | |
82 | Nuneaton | 88,815 | 88,813 | Warwickshire |
|
83 | Halifax | 88,115 | 88,109 | West Yorkshire |
|
84 | Hartlepool | 87,995 | 87,984 | County Durham | |
85 | Aylesbury | 87,950 | 87,967 | Buckinghamshire | |
86 | Doncaster | 87,455 | 87,457 | South Yorkshire | |
87 | Grimsby | 85,925 | 85,911 | Lincolnshire |
|
88 | Wallasey | 85,610 | 85,611 | Merseyside |
|
89 | Stockton-on-Tees | 84,815 | 84,801 | County Durham | |
90 | Weston-super-Mare | 84,605 | 84,628 | Somerset |
|
91 | High Wycombe | 83,535 | 83,523 | Buckinghamshire |
|
92 | Ashford | 82,140 | 82,164 | Kent | |
93 | Redditch | 81,635 | 81,637 | Worcestershire |
|
94 | Wigan | 81,580 | 81,557 | Greater Manchester |
|
95 | Scunthorpe | 81,265 | 81,286 | Lincolnshire |
|
96 | Bury | 81,095 | 81,101 | Greater Manchester | |
97 | Bracknell | 78,675 | 78,660 | Berkshire |
|
98 | Burnley | 78,255 | 78,270 | Lancashire |
|
99 | Rugby | 78,120 | 78,117 | Warwickshire |
|
100 | Guildford | 77,880 | 77,854 | Surrey | |
101 | Carlisle | 77,730 | 77,728 | Cumbria |
|
102 | Chatham | 76,955 | 76,983 | Kent |
|
103 | Newcastle-under-Lyme | 76,505 | 76,503 | Staffordshire |
|
104 | Chesterfield | 76,420 | 76,402 | Derbyshire |
|
105 | Burton upon Trent | 76,255 | 76,270 | Staffordshire |
|
106 | Tamworth | 76,090 | 76,092 | Staffordshire |
|
107 | Shrewsbury | 76,015 | 75,992 | Shropshire |
|
108 | Woking | 75,660 | 75,666 | Surrey |
|
109 | St Albans | 75,540 | 75,537 | Hertfordshire |
|
110 | Harrogate | 75,515 | 75,507 | North Yorkshire |
Medium
The ONS classified all built-up areas between 75,000 and 20,000 as medium-sized, most are moderate towns with some exceptional cities or villages.
49,700 to 74,999
Hereford, Canterbury, Lancaster and Durham have city status, all others are towns and Rochester formerly had city status.
# | Built-up area | 2021 Population | County | |
---|---|---|---|---|
ONS | Citypopulation | |||
111 | Crewe | 74,120 | 74,123 | Cheshire |
112 | South Shields | 73,345 | 73,325 | Tyne and Wear |
113 | Stafford | 71,690 | 71,673 | Staffordshire |
114 | Rotherham | 71,535 | 71,542 | South Yorkshire |
115 | Barnsley | 71,405 | 71,422 | South Yorkshire |
116 | Lowestoft | 71,315 | 71,327 | Suffolk |
117 | Walsall | 70,775 | 70,778 | West Midlands |
118 | Gosport | 70,110 | 70,131 | Hampshire |
119 | Dartford | 69,130 | 69,134 | Kent |
120 | Bognor Regis | 68,435 | 68,408 | West Sussex |
121 | Corby | 68,160 | 68,164 | Northamptonshire |
122 | Paignton | 67,520 | 67,488 | Devon |
123 | Maidenhead | 67,375 | 67,374 | Berkshire |
124 | Rochester | 67,285 | 67,274 | Kent |
125 | Ellesmere Port | 65,430 | 65,421 | Cheshire |
126 | Loughborough | 64,860 | 64,884 | Leicester |
127 | Dudley | 64,270 | 64,275 | West Midlands |
128 | Dewsbury | 63,720 | 63,722 | West Yorkshire |
129 | Mansfield | 63,445 | 63,438 | Nottinghamshire |
130 | Margate | 63,320 | 63,322 | Kent |
131 | Kettering | 63,150 | 63,144 | Northamptonshire |
132 | Cannock | 63,065 | 63,054 | Staffordshire |
133 | Sale | 62,550 | 62,547 | Greater Manchester |
134 | Taunton | 61,665 | 61,674 | Somerset |
135 | Runcorn | 61,645 | 61,635 | Cheshire |
136 | Farnborough | 60,655 | 60,652 | Hampshire |
137 | Tynemouth | 60,605 | 60,600 | Tyne and Wear |
138 | Hereford | 60,480 | 60,475 | Herefordshire |
139 | Halesowen | 60,110 | 60,097 | West Midlands |
140 | Widnes | 59,935 | 59,939 | Cheshire |
141 | Huyton with Roby | 59,845 | 59,846 | Merseyside |
142 | Scarborough | 59,505 | 59,497 | North Yorkshire |
143 | Gravesend | 58,105 | 58,102 | Kent |
144 | Bebington | 57,600 | 57,597 | Merseyside |
145 | Kidderminster | 57,560 | 57,553 | Worcestershire |
146 | Stourbridge | 56,950 | 56,935 | West Midlands |
147 | Smethwick | 56,340 | 56,338 | West Midlands |
148 | Weymouth | 55,535 | 55,543 | Dorset |
149 | Brentwood | 55,340 | 55,358 | Essex |
150 | Barrow-in-Furness | 55,255 | 55,251 | Cumbria |
151 | Canterbury | 55,090 | 55,087 | Kent |
152 | Wellingborough | 54,425 | 54,412 | Northamptonshire |
153 | Sittingbourne | 54,390 | 54,392 | Kent |
154 | Macclesfield | 54,345 | 54,340 | Cheshire |
155 | Bootle | 53,720 | 53,718 | Merseyside |
156 | Carlton | 53,555 | 53,555 | Nottinghamshire |
157 | Clacton-on-Sea | 53,200 | 53,208 | Essex |
158 | Lancaster | 52,655 | 52,660 | Lancashire |
159 | Beeston | 52,355 | 52,356 | Nottinghamshire |
160 | Banbury | 52,045 | 52,052 | Oxfordshire |
161 | Torquay | 52,035 | 52,037 | Devon |
162 | Folkestone | 51,995 | 51,991 | Kent |
163 | Kingswinford | 51,910 | 51,904 | West Midlands |
164 | Bloxwich | 51,875 | 51,879 | West Midlands |
165 | Welwyn Garden City | 51,505 | 51,524 | Hertfordshire |
166 | Washington | 51,320 | 51,312 | Tyne and Wear |
167 | Royal Leamington Spa | 51,310 | 51,323 | Warwickshire |
168 | Royal Tunbridge Wells | 51,220 | 51,232 | Kent |
169 | Hinckley | 50,725 | 50,712 | Leicestershire |
170 | Durham | 50,510 | 50,515 | County Durham |
171 | Wokingham | 50,325 | 50,320 | Berkshire |
172 | Crosby | 50,215 | 50,213 | Merseyside |
173 | Horsham | 50,215 | 50,223 | West Sussex |
174 | Yeovil | 50,170 | 50,176 | Somerset |
175 | Thundersley and South Benfleet |
49,885 | 49,881 | Essex |
30,000 to 49,699
"Citypopulation.de" does not record areas with a population lower than Thundersley and South Benfleet.
Winchester, Lichfield and Chichester have city status between 30,000 and 49,700.
20,000 to 29,999
Truro officially has city status.
See also
- List of cities in the United Kingdom
- City status in the United Kingdom, differing ways which cities have become cities.
- List of towns in England, England's towns in alphabet order and the differing ways which towns have become towns.
- List of towns and cities in England by historical population, the development of urban centres in England and before England through time.
- Settlements in ceremonial counties of England by population, places with 5,000 or more residents by county and the highest populated built-up area in each county.
- List of English districts by population, population of each local government district in England.
- List of urban areas in the United Kingdom sets out the population of each 2011 built-up area in the UK.
- List of built-up areas in Wales by population, Welsh equivalent.
References
- ^ "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021". Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Figure 1: Explore population characteristics of individual BUAs". Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "UNITED KINGDOM: Countries and Major Cities". Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- "United Kingdom: Countries and Major Urban Areas". citypopulation.de. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
Notes
- Under the 1967 designation of Milton Keynes, Bletchley is also officially included. This would give the city a higher population of 264,349, according to "citypopulation.de".