Telegraph Hill Ward Profile
Introduction
Telegraph Hill is a compact, characterful ward defined by its topography, green spaces and strong artistic identity. The parks, views and historic housing create a distinctive sense of place, while community events highlight deep civic pride. Popular with families and creatives, the ward blends residential calm with cultural energy.
Its location between New Cross, Brockley and Deptford places it within a dynamic part of the borough, while retaining its own neighbourhood feel. Active resident groups and local networks play a significant role in shaping the area’s environment and social life. Telegraph Hill’s strength lies in its creativity, participation and green assets.
Key facilities in Telegraph Hill
Through the NCIL 2025–27 programme, a total of £2.55 million was allocated across the borough to support both borough-wide and ward-level priorities. Borough-wide projects received £621,732.92, funding 15 initiatives including four Council-led capital projects such as air quality monitors, deployable CCTV, improvements to Home Park, and a new basketball court at Hilly Fields. A further 11 community-led projects supported a range of residents and community needs, including projects for visually impaired residents, LGBTQ+ communities, refugees and migrants, autistic young people, Black-led organisations, food justice initiatives, employability support, mentoring, parenting support, and arts and performance activities.
Within this wider programme, Telegraph Hill was allocated £34,201.01 in NCIL funding, supporting four projects in the ward. Two Council-led capital projects included park improvements and upgrades to facilities near a local park. Two community-led projects supported a walking bus initiative and community-led improvements to park facilities.
Population
Telegraph Hill has an estimated population of 16,224 residents in 2024. Among its residents, 54% are female, and 46% are male. The population density in Telegraph Hill is 10,504 people per square kilometre.
in 2024
in 2024
Proportion of Population Groups in Telegraph Hill, ONS 2024
| Telegraph Hill | Lewisham | London | England | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children and Youth (0-19) | 21.4% | 24.4% | 24.2% | 23% |
| Senior (65+) | 8.4% | 10.8% | 11.8% | 19.2% |
| Working age (20-64) | 70.2% | 64.8% | 64% | 57.8% |
Population by five-year age group and gender in Telegraph Hill, ONS 2024
Diversity
Ethnicity
36.8% of Telegraph Hill residents have an ethnicity of White British (White English, Welsh, Scottish, or Northern Irish), compared to 37.2% in Lewisham as a whole, 36.8% in London, and 73.5% in England.
Among those not White British, the three most common ethnicities are Black African (15%), Other White (11.9%), and Black Caribbean (10.5%).
Ethnicity (excluding White British) in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Religion
39.4% of Telegraph Hill residents identify as Christian, compared to 43.8% in Lewisham as a whole, 48.4% in London, and 59.4% in England.
Among those not identifying as Christian, the three most common religions are No religion (41.9%), Not Stated (8%), and Muslim (7.6%).
Religion and beliefs in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Country of birth
Country of birth
64.5% of Telegraph Hill residents were born in the UK, compared to 64.4% in Lewisham as a whole, 61.1% in London, and 83.5% in England.
Among those not born in the UK, the three most common countries of birth are Nigeria (8.7%), Jamaica (8.1%), and Italy (4%).
Country of birth by global region (excluding UK) in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Country of birth (excluding England) in
Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Languages
85.2% of Telegraph Hill residents speak English as their primary language, compared to 83.8% in Lewisham as a whole, 77.9% in London, and 92% in England.
Of the remaining residents, 11.1% can speak English well or very well.
English proficiency in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Population speaking little or no English in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
On the other hand, 3.7% of residents cannot speak English well or at all, compared to a Lewisham average of 3.3%.
This means an estimated 600 people in Telegraph Hill may require everyday language support.
Deprivation
Index of Multiple Deprivation
The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is the official measure of relative deprivation in England. It is based on multiple factors: income, employment, education, health and disability, crime, barriers to housing and services, and the living environment.
The IMD is determined for small areas called Lower-layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs). Each LSOA is ranked from most deprived to least deprived nationally, and then grouped into ten deciles. Decile 1 represents the most deprived 10% of LSOAs in England.
Of the 10 LSOAs in Telegraph Hill, 2 rank in the bottom 20% of the country (decile 1 or 2).
LSOAs in most deprived 20%
Deprivation in Telegraph Hill
Household deprivation
Household deprivation is measured across four dimensions: education, employment, health and housing. A household may be classed as deprived if it has low educational attainment, unemployment or economic inactivity due to long-term sickness or disability, poor health or disability, or housing issues such as overcrowding, shared accommodation or no central heating.
In Telegraph Hill, there are 6,762 households in total.
3,722 households are deprived in at least one dimension, representing 55% of households.
Of these, 1,441 households are deprived in two or more dimensions, representing 21.3% of households.
Household deprivation in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Fuel poverty and EPC
Fuel poverty in England is measured using the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) definition. Under this measure, a household is considered to be in fuel poverty if it lives in a property with low energy efficiency and, after meeting the required cost of heating the home, would be left with a residual income below the official poverty line.
Fuel poverty varies across small areas and is often strongly linked to housing quality, insulation, heating systems, and household income. Mapping fuel poverty at LSOA level helps to show where households may be most exposed to higher energy costs and lower energy efficiency.
In the 10 LSOAs in Telegraph Hill, the proportion of households in fuel poverty ranges from 6.7% to 12%.
Proportion of households in fuel poverty
LSOA-level map, Telegraph Hill outlined
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were first introduced in England and Wales in 2007, and are valid for 10 years. They contain information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs, and recommendations about how to reduce energy use and save money. Dwellings are rated between A (highly energy efficient) and G (highly inefficient.) The average EPC rating for dwellings in England is D.
In Telegraph Hill, 50% of assessed households have received an EPC rating of A, B, or C, which means they are highly energy-efficient. It is estimated that the share of highly energy-efficient dwellings in Telegraph Hill could be as high as 87% if home owners were to carry out the improvements recommended during their assessment.
Housing and Affordability
Accommodation type and tenure
67.4% of Telegraph Hill residents live in flats, compared to 56.4% in Lewisham as a whole, 52.6% in London, and 21.4% in England. Among Telegraph Hill residents, the three most common accommodation types are Flat (67.4%), Terraced (21.8%), and Semi-detached (8.8%).
36% of Telegraph Hill residents live in social rented accommodation, compared to 29.2% in Lewisham as a whole, 23.1% in London, and 17.1% in England. Among Telegraph Hill residents, the three most common types of tenure are Social rented (36%), Owned (35.5%), and Private rented (26.2%).
Accommodation type in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Types of tenure in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
House prices
House prices in Lewisham remain lower than those for London as a whole. In 2020, the median house price in the borough was £430,000 compared with £483,000 for Greater London and £249,000 for England.
In terms of relative affordability based on median prices, Lewisham had a median workplace-based income to house price ratio in 2020 of 12.3x. Based on median ratios, Lewisham was relatively more affordable than Lambeth, Greenwich and Bromley; and less affordable than Southwark, Croydon, Tower Hamlets and London overall, the South East region and England.
Relative affordability of median prices by local authority area, ONS 2021
| Workplace-based | Resident-based | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Southwark | 14.23 | 13.88 | 13.87 | 12.12 | 15.28 | 15.35 | 14.31 | 13.83 |
| Lambeth | 14.70 | 14.50 | 14.30 | 14.21 | 15.03 | 13.82 | 14.40 | 13.10 |
| London | 7.91 | 12.26 | 12.05 | 11.78 | 13.25 | 13.09 | 12.75 | 12.52 |
| Tower Hamlets | 9.82 | 9.85 | 10.67 | 9.98 | 12.88 | 12.73 | 11.50 | 12.12 |
| Greenwich | 12.87 | 12.97 | 13.77 | 12.73 | 12.67 | 11.95 | 12.72 | 12.00 |
| Lewisham | 12.61 | 13.65 | 13.27 | 12.33 | 12.28 | 12.20 | 12.74 | 11.55 |
| Bromley | 14.59 | 14.30 | 13.85 | 13.30 | 10.83 | 11.00 | 10.73 | 10.55 |
| Croydon | 11.21 | 11.09 | 10.83 | 11.34 | 10.73 | 10.46 | 10.97 | 10.41 |
| South East | 10.25 | 10.37 | 10.05 | 9.92 | 9.79 | 9.92 | 9.67 | 9.57 |
| England | 7.91 | 8.04 | 7.88 | 7.84 | 7.91 | 8.04 | 7.88 | 7.84 |
Employment
In the 2021 Census, the unemployment rate in Telegraph Hill was 5.1% among residents aged 16+, compared to a Lewisham average of 4.9%.
27.4% of residents are not economically active, for example because they are in education, looking after home or family, long-term sick or disabled, or in retirement.
The three most common occupations in Telegraph Hill are Professional occupations (26.9%), Associate professional and technical occupations (19.8%), and Managers, directors and senior officials (11.9%).
Economic activity in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Occupation groups in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Income
Equivalised household income adjusts total household income to account for the number of people living in a household and their age. This allows for more meaningful comparisons of living standards between areas.
In Telegraph Hill, the estimated median equivalised household income is £44,845, compared with £44,403 in Lewisham, £46,835 in London, and £39,597 across the United Kingdom.
The estimated mean equivalised household income in Telegraph Hill is £50,758. The difference between mean and median income can indicate the extent to which higher-income households influence the average.
Income levels affect residents’ ability to meet everyday costs, access suitable housing, and withstand financial pressures.
Comparing median, mean, lower quartile and upper quartile income gives a broader picture than a single average, showing both typical income levels and the spread across households.
Household income estimates
PayCheck 2025
Benefit Claimants
The Claimant Count measures the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits. It provides a timely indicator of labour market conditions at local level.
In March 2026, there were 815 Claimant Count claimants in Telegraph Hill. This represented 5.5% of all Lewisham claimants in March 2026.
Claimant Count Jan–Mar 2026
Nomis 2026
Claimant Count in Telegraph Hill
March 2026, Telegraph Hill outlined
Health and Wellbeing
Telegraph Hill has same health outcomes to Lewisham in terms of proportion of residents reporting bad or very bad health, but a slightly higher proportion of residents with disability under the Equality Act.
General health and disability
has Very bad or Bad health
4.3% in Lewisham
Residents in Telegraph Hill reporting bad or very bad health account for 4.3%, compared with 4.3% in Lewisham, 4.2% in London, and 5.2% in England.
General health
ONS Census 2021
disabled under the Equality Act
14.4% in Lewisham
In Telegraph Hill, 14.7% of residents are disabled under the Equality Act, compared with 14.4% in Lewisham, 13.2% in London, and 17.3% in England.
Disability status
ONS Census 2021
Unpaid care
Providing unpaid care includes supporting family members, friends or neighbours because of long-term physical or mental ill health, disability, or needs related to older age.
In Telegraph Hill, 7.4% of residents aged 5 and over provide some unpaid care, compared with 7.1% in Lewisham.
A smaller group provide high-intensity care: 1.8% of Telegraph Hill residents provide 50 or more hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 1.8% in Lewisham.
Unpaid care can affect residents’ health, employment and financial wellbeing, particularly where people provide many hours of care each week.
Most residents in Telegraph Hill do not provide unpaid care, but those who do may need access to flexible support, advice and respite services.
Unpaid care in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Environment
Air quality is an important factor influencing health and wellbeing. Local conditions can vary across neighbourhoods depending on traffic, urban form, and environmental factors.
Up-to-date information on air quality in Lewisham is available via the official monitoring and forecasting platform.
Air quality in Lewisham
This site provides:
- Monitoring: real-time air quality data collected from monitoring sites across the Lewisham area, managed by Ricardo.
- Forecasts: short-term air quality forecasts based on a combination of Defra pollution data and Met Office weather forecasts.
These tools help residents and stakeholders understand current conditions and anticipate periods of poorer air quality.
Education
Educational attainment
There are nine qualification levels in England: Entry level and Levels 1–9. Levels 1–2 cover GCSE and equivalent qualifications, Level 3 covers A-level and equivalents, and Levels 4–8 cover higher education equivalents.
In Telegraph Hill, a relatively high proportion of residents have no formal qualifications compared to Lewisham and London, while fewer residents hold Level 4 qualifications and above.
This indicates a more mixed attainment profile, with a larger share of residents concentrated in lower qualification levels.
In Telegraph Hill, 12.5% of residents have no qualifications; 6.7% have Level 1 qualifications; 8.4% have Level 2 qualifications; 2.8% have an apprenticeship; 12.6% have Level 3 qualifications; and 54.6% have Level 4 qualifications and above.
Educational attainment in Telegraph Hill
ONS Census 2021
Crime
In the period January–December 2025, the number of recorded crimes in Lewisham was 27,542, excluding sexual offences.
Of 1,022 recorded crimes in Telegraph Hill, the three most common offences were Violence against the person (329), Theft (201), and Arson and criminal damage (94).
Recorded crimes by type in Telegraph Hill
MPS Jan–Dec 2025
Data Sources
- Ward & LSOA boundaries: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
- Community resources: Lewisham corporate postgis (MapThat)
- Population estimates: ONS mid-2024 population estimate
- Diversity - Ethnicity & religion: ONS Census 2021
- Diversity - Country of birth: ONS Census 2021
- Diversity - Main language & English proficiency: ONS Census 2021
- Deprivation: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government 2025
- Fuel poverty & EPC: Fuel poverty: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) 2023 EPC: Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities 2022
- Housing & affordability: Accommodation & tenure: ONS Census 2021 Affordability: ONS 2021
- Household composition: ONS Census 2021
- Employment (Economic activity and occupation): ONS Census 2021
- Income: CACI PayCheck 2025
- Benefit claimants: DWP 2025-26
- Health and wellbeing: ONS Census 2021
- Education: Educational attainment: ONS Census 2021
- Crime: Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
Further Information
Ward Profiles were produced by the Council’s Corporate Data Science, Insight & Performance Team, which is based in the Chief Executive’s Directorate.
If you have any questions, feedback or comments, please contact the Team via email: insight-and-delivery@lewisham.gov.uk.