People aged 65 or over
20.8%21 March 2021 · East Cambridgeshire
Show the workings
Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator
All usual residents
18,219 out of 87,764.
Source and method →Ely · England
Community life
East Cambridgeshire council area. Every figure carries its own date.
A place is more than its average house price. The census shows who lives here and some of the pressures households face.
People reporting bad or very bad health
4.1%21 March 2021 · East Cambridgeshire
Show the workings
Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator
All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised
3,630 out of 87,762.
Source and method →Households facing at least one measured disadvantage
46.6%21 March 2021 · East Cambridgeshire
The census checks education, employment, health and housing. This is not a measure of income or poverty.
Show the workings
Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator
All households
17,333 out of 37,201.
Source and method →Households facing two or more measured disadvantages
13.3%21 March 2021 · East Cambridgeshire
The census checks education, employment, health and housing. This is not a measure of income or poverty.
Show the workings
Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator
All households
4,948 out of 37,201.
Source and method →People aged 16+ with no qualifications
16.6%21 March 2021 · East Cambridgeshire
Show the workings
Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator
Residents aged 16 and over
11,824 out of 71,429.
Source and method →People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent
35%21 March 2021 · East Cambridgeshire
Show the workings
Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator
Residents aged 16 and over
25,007 out of 71,429.
Source and method →Different needs within the area
People reporting bad or very bad health
2.7% to 5%
People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.7% in Ely North to 5% in Littleport — a gap of 2.4 percentage points.
21 March 2021 · 14 of 14 current wards with comparable figures.
Residents described their own health. Differences in age matter, so this is a prompt to investigate needs, not a score for local health services.
See each ward and the workings
These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.
| Ward | Share | Count | Population or households covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ely North | 2.7% | 129 | 4,851 |
| Woodditton | 3.4% | 225 | 6,631 |
| Fordham & Isleham | 3.6% | 231 | 6,399 |
| Ely West | 3.8% | 374 | 9,873 |
| Burwell | 3.8% | 245 | 6,407 |
| Soham North | 3.9% | 274 | 6,994 |
| Downham Villages | 4% | 122 | 3,027 |
| Stretham | 4.2% | 278 | 6,644 |
| Sutton | 4.3% | 240 | 5,640 |
| Haddenham | 4.6% | 158 | 3,439 |
| Ely East | 4.6% | 270 | 5,852 |
| Bottisham | 4.7% | 277 | 5,845 |
| Soham South | 4.8% | 302 | 6,245 |
| Littleport | 5% | 500 | 9,910 |
People aged 65 or over
13% to 25.8%
People aged 65 or over ranged from 13% in Ely North to 25.8% in Bottisham — a gap of 12.8 percentage points.
21 March 2021 · 14 of 14 current wards with comparable figures.
Age helps locate demand for accessible homes, transport and support. Being older does not itself mean someone needs care.
See each ward and the workings
These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.
| Ward | Share | Count | Population or households covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ely North | 13% | 628 | 4,848 |
| Soham North | 15.5% | 1,087 | 6,994 |
| Littleport | 17.4% | 1,728 | 9,910 |
| Soham South | 19.6% | 1,226 | 6,252 |
| Ely West | 20.2% | 1,998 | 9,873 |
| Sutton | 21.3% | 1,202 | 5,640 |
| Fordham & Isleham | 21.5% | 1,374 | 6,399 |
| Stretham | 22.4% | 1,491 | 6,643 |
| Burwell | 22.9% | 1,469 | 6,407 |
| Downham Villages | 23% | 696 | 3,026 |
| Haddenham | 23.2% | 799 | 3,441 |
| Ely East | 24% | 1,405 | 5,849 |
| Woodditton | 24.3% | 1,610 | 6,627 |
| Bottisham | 25.8% | 1,503 | 5,835 |
People aged 16+ with no qualifications
11.2% to 21%
People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 11.2% in Ely North to 21% in Soham South — a gap of 9.8 percentage points.
21 March 2021 · 14 of 14 current wards with comparable figures.
Formal qualifications are only one part of someone's skills. Training decisions also need current vacancies, employment and residents' experience.
See each ward and the workings
These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.
| Ward | Share | Count | Population or households covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ely North | 11.2% | 421 | 3,755 |
| Bottisham | 13% | 629 | 4,836 |
| Ely West | 13.4% | 1,071 | 8,016 |
| Burwell | 14.2% | 747 | 5,268 |
| Sutton | 15.8% | 726 | 4,608 |
| Woodditton | 16.1% | 888 | 5,516 |
| Ely East | 16.5% | 824 | 4,985 |
| Stretham | 16.6% | 903 | 5,451 |
| Fordham & Isleham | 17.3% | 902 | 5,202 |
| Haddenham | 17.6% | 497 | 2,816 |
| Downham Villages | 17.7% | 444 | 2,506 |
| Soham North | 19.4% | 1,076 | 5,533 |
| Littleport | 20.8% | 1,648 | 7,932 |
| Soham South | 21% | 1,053 | 5,009 |
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages
9.4% to 17.5%
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 9.4% in Ely North to 17.5% in Littleport — a gap of 8.1 percentage points.
21 March 2021 · 14 of 14 current wards with comparable figures.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
See each ward and the workings
These are separate ward percentages, not an average of them. Boundaries: May 2026. Missing or differently defined figures are excluded from this range and stay visible on the ward pages.
| Ward | Share | Count | Population or households covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ely North | 9.4% | 180 | 1,907 |
| Woodditton | 11% | 319 | 2,903 |
| Bottisham | 11.4% | 268 | 2,347 |
| Burwell | 11.7% | 324 | 2,762 |
| Downham Villages | 11.9% | 146 | 1,229 |
| Ely West | 12.1% | 510 | 4,215 |
| Sutton | 12.6% | 297 | 2,355 |
| Fordham & Isleham | 12.7% | 343 | 2,704 |
| Stretham | 13% | 361 | 2,777 |
| Soham North | 14.3% | 412 | 2,878 |
| Haddenham | 14.6% | 213 | 1,455 |
| Ely East | 14.8% | 422 | 2,847 |
| Soham South | 16% | 436 | 2,726 |
| Littleport | 17.5% | 718 | 4,101 |
Local places and initiatives
The Old Gaol, Market Street
Ely Museum: long-term lease
A longer lease gives the museum a firmer basis for seeking grants and improving its historic building.
Lease extended to support future investment · evidence dated 2026-09-28
Responsible body: East Cambridgeshire District Council and Ely Museum
What the source says: The council confirms the museum lease has been extended to March 2125. The decision supports grant applications; no specific funded refurbishment is confirmed.
Next thing to establish: What is the approved cost, including ongoing maintenance?
Progress, funding and source
- Cost
- Not established by the evidence checked.
- Funding
- Not established by the evidence checked.
- Area covered
- Unmapped: a verified current ward boundary or council ward statement is still needed.
No verified ward footprint is assigned.
Ely Museum lease extended to support future investment →
Source checked 2026-10-17. A plan or announcement is not proof of completion.
Questions for the next progress report
- Which funding is committed, and what remains conditional?
- Which neighbourhoods are covered by an official project plan, and which benefits still need testing?
- What is the next published milestone, and what evidence will show residents benefit?
Connect local skills to local opportunities →
Target support where disadvantages overlap →
How to track delivery →Ely–Soham corridor, with proposed links to the wider cycle network
Ely to Soham walking, wheeling and cycling route
A new route is in the county’s funded programme, with construction expected to finish by March 2030. That is a target, not an open route.
Funding programme approved; construction completion targeted for March 2030 · evidence dated 2026-10-06
Responsible body: Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and the Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust
What the source says: The October decision includes Ely–Soham among 16 schemes. The route would connect to the National Cycle Network and proposed Soham–Wicken Greenway. No completed route is claimed.
Next thing to establish: What is the approved cost, including ongoing maintenance?
Progress, funding and source
- Cost
- Not established by the evidence checked.
- Funding
- More than £14 million is allocated across the county’s four-year active-travel programme. The reviewed announcement does not state an Ely–Soham-only allocation.
- Area covered
- No verified current ward footprint is assigned. The named site or council-wide remit is not proof of benefits to every ward.
No verified ward footprint is assigned.
Active-travel funding approved, 6 October 2026 →
Source checked 2026-10-17. A plan or announcement is not proof of completion.
Questions for the next progress report
- Which neighbourhoods are covered by an official project plan, and which benefits still need testing?
- What is the next published milestone, and what evidence will show residents benefit?
Make Ely’s new routes work as complete journeys →
Plan homes and care around an older population →
Bring support closer to people in poor health →
Target support where disadvantages overlap →
How to track delivery →