Rochford has ranked as the straightest place in England and Wales in the 2021 census.

Figures have revealed only 1.6 per cent of the population in Rochford identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or “other sexual orientation” in the 2021 census.

This suggests those living in the area are six times less likely to be gay than those in Brighton and Hove, where one in 10 people aged over 16 identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or “other sexual orientation”.

People in Rochford were also four times less likely to say they were transgender or non-binary than those in Brighton and Hove. The census recorded 145 to Brighton’s 2,341.

Maxine Carrigher, owner of Southend Eyebrow Microblading in Rochford, told the Guardian LGBT people were likely to move to nearby Leigh where “the nightlife is really lively”.

She said: “Rochford is a little bit sleepy, rural and traditional with pubs rather than wine bars.”

Shane Robinson, a studio manager at the Good as Gold tattoo parlour, told the Guardian he was surprised by the figures.

He said: “We don’t see it. We have a broad range of people coming through the studio – a lovely mix and the door is always open.”

This is the first census that has asked people about their sexual orientation and gender identity.

More than 1.3 million people in England and Wales identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.