Chelmsford's 2026 population is now estimated at 192,408.In 2025, the population of Chelmsford was 190,597.Chelmsford has grown by 1,811 in the last year, which represents a 0.95% annual change.These population values and projections come from World Population Review Internal Projections.
Chelmsford is a city located in Essex, England. It hasn’t been a city for very long, as it was granted this status in 2012 in honor of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
The city stretches across a total area of over 132 square miles. It is the 126th largest of 326 cities in England by area. In terms of population, estimates taken in 2016 put the total at 174,100, making it just the 108th most populous city in England. Based on these numbers, the population density is 1,300 inhabitants per square mile.
Breaking down the population by race shows that 94.6% of the population is White, 2% is South Asian, 1.3% is Black, and 1.2% is mixed race. Of the total population, approximately 60,000 live within the city, while over 42,000 live in the surrounding semi-rural and suburban areas. The remainder live in rural areas.
In terms of religion, Christianity and having no preferred religion take the lead, with approximately 60% following a Christian faith and approximately 30% of people do not follow any faith.
The city’s population has experienced steady growth throughout its history and is only expected to grow larger. Tens of thousands of homes are being constructed in the metro area, which is expected to lift the population in areas including Boreham Airfield, North Springfield and Broomfield.
City | 2026 Pop.↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| London | 9,188,200 | 0.54% |
| Birmingham | 1,199,447 | 0.67% |
| Leeds | 860,894 | 0.92% |
| Glasgow | 663,221 | 0.99% |
| Manchester | 605,521 | 1.34% |
| Cornwall | 591,594 | 0.71% |
| Sheffield | 588,768 | 0.54% |
| Bradford | 570,186 | 0.58% |
| County Durham | 543,515 | 0.51% |
| Edinburgh | 540,101 | 0.88% |
| Wiltshire | 531,890 | 0.78% |
| Liverpool | 518,060 | 0.89% |
| Bristol | 504,401 | 1.01% |
| Kirklees | 451,654 | 0.42% |
| Cheshire East | 431,445 | 1.2% |
| Croydon | 415,854 | 0.79% |
| Barnet | 411,361 | 0.78% |
| Leicester | 397,462 | 1.17% |
| Ealing | 392,217 | 0.8% |
| Cardiff | 391,495 | 0.98% |