Luton: population and statistics
Luton has a population of 236,380 (2025) across 43.4 km², or 5,453 people per km². It ranks 94 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +8.6% between 2015 and 2025.
- 236,380 residents
- 43.4 km²
- 5,453 people/km²
Luton in numbers
Population of Luton over time
Luton had 217,612 residents in 2015 and 236,380 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 224,132 |
| 2021 | 224,958 |
| 2022 | 227,839 |
| 2023 | 233,813 |
| 2024 | 238,047 |
| 2025 | 236,380 |
All indicators for Luton
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Luton | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 11.7% | 20.3% | 20.4% | ranked 345 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 22.5% | 18.4% | 17.4% | ranked 3 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Luton | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 85,480 dwellings | 2,888,720 | 27,429,300 | ranked 111 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 32.7% | 23.4% | 31.6% | ranked 147 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 12.5% | 21.0% | 18.1% | ranked 271 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 78,940 households | 65,170 | 61,440 | ranked 109 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 75.1% | 81.7% | 84.7% | ranked 247 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 24.7% | 17.7% | 14.8% | ranked 69 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 54.5% | 66.1% | 67.3% | ranked 277 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 29.0% | 18.3% | 17.6% | ranked 31 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 16.4% | 15.5% | 14.3% | ranked 106 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £284,946 | £353,838 | £272,474 | ranked 165 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 0.5% | 1.1% | 2.2% | ranked 248 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Luton | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% | ranked 63 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 75.1% | 70.3% | 76.7% | ranked 180 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 11.5% | 9.5% | 7.8% | ranked 49 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.1% | 7.0% | 0.9% | ranked 246 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Luton | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 9,365 sites | 315,875 | 3,232,440 | ranked 110 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 39.6 per 1,000 | 47.8 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 243 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 8,270 businesses | 276,720 | 2,786,975 | ranked 105 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £34,732 | £41,339 | £38,490 | ranked 298 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Luton | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 66.1% | 78.4% | 76.3% | ranked 331 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 6.6% | 3.3% | 3.2% | ranked 13 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Luton | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 25.0% | 16.9% | 18.5% | ranked 78 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 45 local authorities in East, Luton ranks 3 by population.
Share of residents aged under 16: 22.5% in Luton, compared with an average of 18.4% in East and 17.7% across the UK.
Households heated by oil only: 0.1% in Luton, compared with an average of 7.0% in East and 3.4% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 19.2% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in East for “Population density”.
- Number 1 in East for “Share of residents aged under 16”.
- “Share of residents aged under 16”: higher than in 99% of local authorities.
- “Households heated by oil only”: lower than in 97% of local authorities.
- “Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64”: higher than in 97% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,071 football pitches.
- 19.2 times denser than the UK average.
Business sectors: Luton
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade19.2% ×1.2
- Construction16.0% ×1.3
- Transport and storage11.6% ×2.8
- Professional, scientific and technical9.3% ×0.7
- Administrative and support services9.1% ×1.1
- Accommodation and food services6.2% ×0.9
- Health and social work5.7% ×1.0
- Information and communication5.0% ×0.8
Where is Luton?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Luton?
Luton has 236,380 residents (2025), ranking 94 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Luton?
Luton covers 43.4 km², with a density of 5,453 people per km².
Is the population of Luton growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Luton went from 217,612 to 236,380, a change of +8.6%.
Where is Luton?
Luton is in East (region). Latitude 51.891, longitude −0.428.
Share of residents aged under 16: what is the figure for Luton?
In Luton, “Share of residents aged under 16” stands at 22.5% (2025), ranking 3 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 17.4%.
Households heated by oil only: what is the figure for Luton?
In Luton, “Households heated by oil only” stands at 0.1% (2021), ranking 246 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 0.9%.
Which local authorities border Luton?
The nearest to Luton are St Albans (14 km), Dacorum (16 km), Central Bedfordshire (16 km), Stevenage (16 km), North Hertfordshire (20 km).