Cheshire East: population and statistics
Cheshire East has a population of 425,459 (2025) across 1,166.3 km², or 365 people per km². It ranks 18 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +12.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 425,459 residents
- 1,166.3 km²
- 365 people/km²
Cheshire East in numbers
Population of Cheshire East over time
Cheshire East had 378,511 residents in 2015 and 425,459 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 393,203 |
| 2021 | 400,474 |
| 2022 | 406,971 |
| 2023 | 414,906 |
| 2024 | 420,472 |
| 2025 | 425,459 |
All indicators for Cheshire East
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 | Cheshire East | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 22.9% | 19.1% | 20.4% | ranked 113 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 17.2% | 18.3% | 17.4% | ranked 196 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Cheshire East | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 192,820 dwellings | 3,492,580 | 27,429,300 | ranked 15 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 28.8% | 39.3% | 31.6% | ranked 187 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 22.6% | 16.5% | 18.1% | ranked 75 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 174,854 households | 116,581 | 61,440 | ranked 15 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 89.0% | 83.7% | 84.7% | ranked 77 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 10.5% | 16.0% | 14.8% | ranked 235 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 72.9% | 62.7% | 67.3% | ranked 45 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 15.5% | 19.4% | 17.6% | ranked 229 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 11.6% | 17.8% | 14.3% | ranked 255 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £309,121 | £227,208 | £272,474 | ranked 145 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 5.0% | 4.7% | 2.2% | ranked 64 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Cheshire East | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.0% | 1.5% | 1.2% | ranked 204 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 76.9% | 78.6% | 76.7% | ranked 149 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 5.6% | 7.4% | 7.8% | ranked 236 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 4.3% | 1.3% | 0.9% | ranked 97 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Cheshire East | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 22,390 sites | 319,350 | 3,232,440 | ranked 17 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 52.6 per 1,000 | 41.1 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 85 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 19,750 businesses | 272,085 | 2,786,975 | ranked 16 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £40,991 | £37,482 | £38,490 | ranked 120 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Cheshire East | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 78.3% | 73.9% | 76.3% | ranked 128 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 2.4% | 4.1% | 3.2% | ranked 278 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Cheshire East | North West | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 14.5% | 24.9% | 18.5% | ranked 227 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 35 local authorities in North West, Cheshire East ranks 3 by population.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 17.3% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)”: higher than in 96% of local authorities.
- “Business sites (local units)”: higher than in 96% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 163,349 football pitches.
- The nearest local authority is Staffordshire Moorlands, 14.2 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Birmingham (1,176,960 residents), 79 km away.
Business sectors: Cheshire East
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Professional, scientific and technical17.3% ×1.2
- Wholesale and retail trade15.8% ×1.0
- Construction10.1% ×0.8
- Administrative and support services8.7% ×1.1
- Information and communication5.9% ×1.0
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing5.9% ×1.3
- Accommodation and food services5.7% ×0.8
- Health and social work5.3% ×0.9
Where is Cheshire East?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Cheshire East?
Cheshire East has 425,459 residents (2025), ranking 18 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Cheshire East?
Cheshire East covers 1,166.3 km², with a density of 365 people per km².
Is the population of Cheshire East growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Cheshire East went from 378,511 to 425,459, a change of +12.4%.
Where is Cheshire East?
Cheshire East is in North West (region). Latitude 53.162, longitude −2.217.
Dwellings (Council Tax stock): what is the figure for Cheshire East?
In Cheshire East, “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)” stands at 192,820 dwellings (2026), ranking 15 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 67,955 dwellings.
Business sites (local units): what is the figure for Cheshire East?
In Cheshire East, “Business sites (local units)” stands at 22,390 sites (2026), ranking 17 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 6,830 sites.
Which local authorities border Cheshire East?
The nearest to Cheshire East are Staffordshire Moorlands (14 km), Newcastle-under-Lyme (17 km), Stoke-on-Trent (18 km), Stockport (27 km), Manchester (28 km).