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Living in Chelmsford

Chelmsford is a city in the United Kingdom. Chelmsford numbered 110,625 residents at the end of 2021. The regional median gross salary was €3,296 per month at the end of 2024. Chelmsford had an unemployment rate of 5.39% at the end of 2018.

Higher unemployment than 91% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Chelmsford?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Chelmsford.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Chelmsford yet. United Kingdom has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Rent price index, mean1,689 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics13Official

Work and income

Chelmsford's employment rate reached 63% at the end of 2021. Chelmsford had 56,240 at the end of 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Chelmsford?

The unemployment rate is about 5.4 % (2018).

  • Unemployment rate: 5.39 % · Eurostat4
Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Chelmsford is 5.4%. Of 1,007 cities with data, 657 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United Kingdom per band24 cities: 0% to under 2%240–2657 cities: 2% to under 4%6572–4265 cities: 4% to under 6%2654–6Chelmsford 5.4%49 cities: 6% to under 8%496–87 cities: 8% to under 10%78–104 cities: 10% to under 12%410–121 city: 16% to under 18%116–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate63 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,296 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)8Official · regional context
Unemployment rate5.39 %country median 3.4%31 Dec 2018Eurostat4Official
Unemployment rate over time7 published observations, 2004–2018
Unemployment rate in Chelmsford by year, %3.2%4.6%6.0%7.5%20042011201620185.4%%

Unemployment rate rose 36.5% between 2004 and 2018, from 4.0% to 5.4%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Chelmsford. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Chelmsford. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count56 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official
School Count83 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official

Mobility and administration

Chelmsford's nearest airport was STN, 23 km away and offered 153 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count153 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights11Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km23 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports12Official
Nearest Major Airport IataSTN3 Aug 2026OurAirports12Official

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 12 µg/m³ at the end of 2019.

Is the air quality good in Chelmsford?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency3

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Chelmsford annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52512.0PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomOf 864 cities with data, 448 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United Kingdom per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–428 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³284–5203 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³2035–6448 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³4486–7174 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³1747–88 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³88–91 city: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³19–101 city: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³113–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean12 µg/m³31 Dec 2019European Environment Agency3Official · nearest-station reading
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 13.28 · Feb 15.35 · Mar 17.92 · Apr 22.94 · May 24.4 · Jun 26.78 · Jul 30.73 · Aug 30.1 · Sep 26.82 · Oct 24.81 · Nov 17.58 · Dec 13.53 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center5Official · coordinate grid
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -5.15 · Feb -4.8 · Mar -3.42 · Apr -0.85 · May 1.95 · Jun 5.48 · Jul 9.32 · Aug 7.85 · Sep 5.27 · Oct 0.97 · Nov -2.58 · Dec -3.88 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center5Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by monthJan 4.78 · Feb 4.76 · Mar 6.37 · Apr 9.16 · May 12.36 · Jun 15.47 · Jul 17.67 · Aug 17.57 · Sep 15.18 · Oct 12.03 · Nov 8.15 · Dec 5.51 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center5Official · coordinate grid

Cities of a similar size in United Kingdom

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United Kingdom cities
Oldham110,720 residentsRochdale111,255 residentsBirkenhead109,835 residentsWorthing111,620 residentsMaidstone109,490 residentsGillingham (Medway)108,480 residents

Population and city profile

Chelmsford's median age was 39 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Chelmsford?

The published population was 110,625 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics7

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population110,625 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics7Official

International community in Chelmsford

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom93,79084.8%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)10,7059.7%
Europe: EU countries6,1305.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10

Is Chelmsford a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker28%strong on work, weak on safety · range 18–38%
Skilled employee41%strong on work, weak on safety · range 32–50%
Student42%strong on education, weak on safety · range 33–51%
Family61%strong on family, weak on safety · range 51–71%
Retirement32%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 19–45%
Population110,625 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Rent price index, mean1,689 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics
Employment rate63 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary (regional)3,296 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Unemployment rate5.39 %31 Dec 2018Official source · Eurostat
PM2.5 — annual mean12 µg/m³31 Dec 2019Official source · European Environment Agency
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-14

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct36.3 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus56,240 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official
Median age39 years31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official
Universities1 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students9Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Chelmsford under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Is Chelmsford part of London?

Chelmsford is near London, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 48.4 km away by straight-line distance.

Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source2

How does Chelmsford compare?

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Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Chelmsford?

The published population was 110,625 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Chelmsford?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.

What is the unemployment rate in Chelmsford?

The unemployment rate is about 5.4 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Chelmsford?

The median gross salary is 3,296 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Chelmsford a good place to live?

Chelmsford may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Is Chelmsford part of London?

Chelmsford is near London, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 48.4 km away by straight-line distance.

How many people born in Europe: EU countries live in Chelmsford?

The official country of birth distribution records 6,130 people (5.5%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Chelmsford, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/chelmsford/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_chelmsford-united-kingdom-rent-salary-jobs-air-quality_e2a5e5e0a788,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Chelmsford, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/chelmsford/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Chelmsford, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/chelmsford/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  2. download.geonames.org recorded crime data download.geonames.org · checked 2026-08-28
  3. European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  4. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  5. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  6. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  7. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  8. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  9. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  10. ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
Show 3 more sources
  1. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  2. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-12

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.