Thurrock: population and statistics
Thurrock has a population of 181,664 (2025) across 163.8 km², or 1,109 people per km². It ranks 136 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +9.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 181,664 residents
- 163.8 km²
- 1,109 people/km²
Thurrock in numbers
Population of Thurrock over time
Thurrock had 166,622 residents in 2015 and 181,664 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 175,803 |
| 2021 | 175,933 |
| 2022 | 177,098 |
| 2023 | 179,372 |
| 2024 | 181,287 |
| 2025 | 181,664 |
All indicators for Thurrock
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 | Thurrock | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 13.7% | 20.3% | 20.4% | ranked 326 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 22.0% | 18.4% | 17.4% | ranked 9 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Thurrock | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 70,470 dwellings | 2,888,720 | 27,429,300 | ranked 149 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 20.5% | 23.4% | 31.6% | ranked 272 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 18.1% | 21.0% | 18.1% | ranked 158 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 66,377 households | 65,170 | 61,440 | ranked 137 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 76.2% | 81.7% | 84.7% | ranked 241 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 23.5% | 17.7% | 14.8% | ranked 77 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 64.0% | 66.1% | 67.3% | ranked 209 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 18.3% | 18.3% | 17.6% | ranked 135 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 17.7% | 15.5% | 14.3% | ranked 92 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £321,941 | £353,838 | £272,474 | ranked 131 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −0.9% | 1.1% | 2.2% | ranked 290 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Thurrock | 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) | 74.8% | 70.3% | 76.7% | ranked 187 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 13.6% | 9.5% | 7.8% | ranked 20 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.2% | 7.0% | 0.9% | ranked 212 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Thurrock | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 8,245 sites | 315,875 | 3,232,440 | ranked 146 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 45.4 per 1,000 | 47.8 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 160 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 7,190 businesses | 276,720 | 2,786,975 | ranked 140 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £41,997 | £41,339 | £38,490 | ranked 102 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Thurrock | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 77.2% | 78.4% | 76.3% | ranked 156 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 4.3% | 3.3% | 3.2% | ranked 73 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Thurrock | East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 17.3% | 16.9% | 18.5% | ranked 175 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 45 local authorities in East, Thurrock ranks 12 by population.
Share of residents aged under 16: 22.0% in Thurrock, compared with an average of 18.4% in East and 17.7% across the UK.
Households heated by electricity only: 13.6% in Thurrock, compared with an average of 9.5% in East and 8.6% across the UK.
Largest business sector: Construction, with 23.3% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Share of residents aged under 16”: higher than in 98% of local authorities.
- “Households heated by electricity only”: higher than in 94% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 22,947 football pitches.
- 3.9 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Basildon, 8.3 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Medway (292,697 residents), 14 km away.
Business sectors: Thurrock
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Construction23.3% ×1.9
- Wholesale and retail trade16.9% ×1.1
- Transport and storage15.4% ×3.7
- Administrative and support services8.3% ×1.0
- Professional, scientific and technical7.5% ×0.5
- Accommodation and food services4.9% ×0.7
- Health and social work4.5% ×0.8
- Information and communication3.9% ×0.6
Where is Thurrock?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Thurrock?
Thurrock has 181,664 residents (2025), ranking 136 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Thurrock?
Thurrock covers 163.8 km², with a density of 1,109 people per km².
Is the population of Thurrock growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Thurrock went from 166,622 to 181,664, a change of +9.0%.
Where is Thurrock?
Thurrock is in East (region). Latitude 51.500, longitude 0.417.
Share of residents aged under 16: what is the figure for Thurrock?
In Thurrock, “Share of residents aged under 16” stands at 22.0% (2025), ranking 9 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 17.4%.
Households heated by electricity only: what is the figure for Thurrock?
In Thurrock, “Households heated by electricity only” stands at 13.6% (2021), ranking 20 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 7.8%.
Which local authorities border Thurrock?
The nearest to Thurrock are Basildon (8.3 km), Gravesham (10 km), Castle Point (11 km), Dartford (12 km), Brentwood (14 km).