Rayleigh and Wickford is centred on the two south Essex towns in its name. Both are substantial commuter and residential centres with strong rail and road links toward London. The constituency is predominantly suburban, but farmland, woodland and green-belt land separate parts of the built-up area and appear around the outer edge. Rayleigh and Wickford each have distinct town centres and surrounding neighbourhoods rather than forming one continuous urban core. The seat lies within the wider south Essex commuter belt and connects toward Basildon, Southend and Chelmsford. Overall, it combines established suburban towns with significant areas of open land.
Election data comes from UK Parliament. Turnout percentage is calculated by Project Open Gov from Parliament's turnout and electorate figures.
People and place
A population and household snapshot for Rayleigh and Wickford, using validated House of Commons Library constituency datasets.
Estimated population99,804
EstimateMid-2024 estimate
Region / nationEast of England
Age profile
0 to 1720.0% · 19,973 people
18 to 246.6% · 6,538 people
25 to 3411.5% · 11,510 people
35 to 4918.3% · 18,257 people
50 to 6420.8% · 20,775 people
65 and over22.8% · 22,751 people
Population figures are mid-2024 estimates from the House of Commons Library. Project Open Gov calculates the estimated population shown above by summing the six published age-band counts. View population source ↗
Home ownership and renting
Housing tenure shows how households in this constituency described their home at the most recent census.
39,931 householdsCensus 2021
Home owners81.8% · 32,649 households
Private renters11.3% · 4,506 households
Social renters6.4% · 2,556 households
Other tenure0.6% · 220 households
“Other tenure” combines shared ownership and households recorded as living rent free.
Housing-tenure figures come from the most recent census: 2021 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2022 in Scotland. View housing-tenure source ↗
Household composition
A broad view of household types in this constituency. Project Open Gov uses the four broad groups supplied by the Commons Library so the presentation remains consistent across the UK.
39,933 householdsCensus 2021
One-person households26.2% · 10,450 households
Families with dependent children28.5% · 11,362 households
Other single-family households42.7% · 17,052 households
Other household types2.7% · 1,069 households
Household-composition figures come from the Commons Library constituency dataset. The source uses census data and Project Open Gov displays its broad household groups rather than attempting to harmonise the detailed categories itself. View household-composition source ↗
Disability and day-to-day activities
The source records whether day-to-day activities are limited and uses separate person-level tables for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
96,504 people in the source baseCensus 2021Source comparison: England & Wales
Day-to-day activities limited a lot5.9% · 5,685 people
Day-to-day activities limited a little9.6% · 9,256 people
Not disabled under the Equality Act84.5% · 81,563 people
Comparison note: the workbook uses different source terminology across the UK: England & Wales uses “Disabled under the Equality Act”, while Scotland and Northern Ireland use “Disabled” / “Non-disabled”. Project Open Gov therefore preserves the source categories and does not present them as one single like-for-like UK legal definition.
Disability figures come from the Commons Library constituency workbook. This profile uses the person-level tables only; the workbook also contains separate household-level disability tables which are not used here. View disability source ↗
Petitions
Open UK Government and Parliament petitions that have reached at least 10,000 signatures nationally, ranked here by the number of signatures recorded in this constituency.
Petition signatures are not a poll and do not show what the constituency as a whole thinks. A person can also sign more than one petition.
Open petitionCloses 8 December 2026
End the mandatory fortification of white flour with folic acid immediately
Signatures in this constituency257
Signatures nationally127,162
Government response published · 100,000-signature debate threshold reached
Signature counts come from the official UK Government and Parliament petitions data and may change while a petition remains open. Browse official petitions ↗
Funding and local projects
National Lottery grants awarded to organisations recorded in this parliamentary constituency since 4 July 2024.
The constituency is based on the recipient organisation recorded in the source data. The funded activity may sometimes take place across a wider area.
Grants recorded15
Total awarded£199,266
Most recent awards
National Lottery grantAwarded 25 June 2026
Yoga for Parent/Carers and Neurodivergent Children
MyOTAS
£8,976
Sport England · Sport
About this award
This project will deliver two inclusive wellbeing groups for families of neurodivergent children. Group one will provide gentle yoga, breathing and relaxation sessions for parents or carers, and the second group provide accessible yoga for both parents and carers and their neurodivergent child. Two sessions will be delivered per week over 48 weeks. Funding will cover staff costs, coaches fees and facility hire.
National Lottery grantAwarded 19 June 2026
Young Minds Thrive
The Calm Corner CIC
£19,788
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
The Calm Corner CIC - Children & Young People - National Lottery Awards for All England
National Lottery grantAwarded 18 May 2026
Green Steps Essex
ODU INTELLECT CIC
£20,000
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
ODU INTELLECT CIC - Environment - National Lottery Awards for All England
National Lottery grantAwarded 15 May 2026
Hullbridge Men's Shed
Hullbridge Men's Shed
£20,000
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Hullbridge Men's Shed - Community - National Lottery Awards for All England
National Lottery grantAwarded 7 May 2026
Replacement Minibus
Hockley and Hawkwell Day Centre
£20,000
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Hockley and Hawkwell Day Centre - Environment - National Lottery Awards for All England
10 more awards are available.
Source: DCMS National Lottery Grants Database. The figures shown cover awards from 4 July 2024 to 1 July 2026. View official grants data ↗
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