E63007381 /North East evidence profile
North East evidence profile
Billingham digital planning profile
Billingham is a medium, non-coastal built-up area in North East. ONS records show a 2021 population of 33,603; the population contracted between 2001 and 2021, while the 2015 to 2024 employment series shows a flat employment count. This profile turns those public observations into a reviewable website-planning brief without claiming that the figures measure searches, leads or Mosalio's physical presence.
01 / Data snapshot
What the reviewed source records
- BUA24 code
- E63007381
- ITL1 region
- North East
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
16.8% below the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
in line with the 0% dataset median.
37.6% below the 224.1% dataset median.
These medians use every complete England record accepted from the same ONS file. They are descriptive context, not targets, forecasts or a national demand model.
03 / Distinctive pattern
Where this record sits within 936 complete England profiles
Lowest decile · percentile position 3.2 of 100.
Lowest decile · percentile position 3.6 of 100.
Lower quartile · percentile position 18.4 of 100.
These are the three values furthest from the middle percentile position for this record. A higher position means a higher published value, not a better outcome or evidence of search demand.
Evidence fingerprint: sha256:710697d4cf9…25761d3fbb2e
04 / Constrained peers
Three named comparisons from the same reviewed source
Each peer is selected from all 936complete England records using the documented eight-metric distance. Deltas are Billingham minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Billingham is higher.
Regional peer
Jarrow · E63007182
North East. Nearest complete record in North East. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- +4,344 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +0.5 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -2.3 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£5,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -13.5 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.5 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.5 pp
Classification peer
Haydock · E63008397
North West. Nearest complete record outside North East with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +17,460 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +0.5 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.3 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -11.1 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£30,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -4.7 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +1.8 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -2 pp
National peer
Washington · E63007217
North East. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -17,715 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -1.7 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.4 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£5,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +34.2 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.3 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -1 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Billingham evidence synthesis: Population change, 2001 to 2021, 2023 median house price, House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
Billingham is recorded as a medium, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city. This classification sets a transparent frame for the three observations below; it is not a persona, a service-area promise or proof of local search demand. Each finding pairs one distinctive percentile measure with one independently selected peer and one explicit validation route.
Eight-metric evidence matrix
The matrix shows every measure used by the peer-distance method, not only the three most distinctive values. Direction describes the published value relative to the middle percentile position; it is not a positive or negative judgement.
Highest-to-lowest percentile order: Economic inactivity → 2021 population → Population aged 65 or over → Population aged under 25 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → 2023 median house price → Population change, 2001 to 2021.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: Population change, 2001 to 2021 → 2023 median house price → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Economic inactivity → 2021 population → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population aged 65 or over → Population aged under 25.
Regional peer
Population change, 2001 to 2021: -5.6% · Jarrow delta +0.5 pp
Billingham's population change, 2001 to 2021 is -5.6%, a lowest decile result at percentile 3.2 among 936 complete England records. For a bounded comparison rather than a national average, Jarrow supplies the regional reference; Billingham is +0.5 pp from it on the displayed scale. This evidence can narrow a discovery question around update cadence, ownership and change-ready content models, while dated user research and a documented content-review cycle supplies the user-level check the aggregate data cannot provide. Keep the inference narrow: historic population change is neither a forecast nor a lead estimate.
Classification peer
2023 median house price: £130,000 · Haydock delta -£30,000
At £130,000, 2023 median house price places Billingham in the lowest decile and at percentile 3.6 of the reviewed distribution. The same-source classification check uses Haydock, classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working. The Billingham-minus-Haydock delta on this metric is -£30,000. Its practical use is to frame—not answer—a question about pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting; the next evidence should come from comprehension tests using the organisation's real offer and fees. It must not be over-read, because a median house price is not a household affordability measure.
National peer
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023: 186.5% · Washington delta +34.2 pp
The reviewed record positions Billingham at percentile 18.4 for house-price growth, 2001 to 2023; its published value is 186.5% and its band is lower quartile. Using Washington as the national peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is +34.2 pp; the peer was selected because nearest remaining complete england record. Its practical use is to frame—not answer—a question about how dated economic context is labelled and maintained; the next evidence should come from source-date checks and user tests for interpretation. This remains contextual evidence—historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim.
Billingham's evidence pattern combines the medium, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city frame with three percentile observations and peer-specific deltas. That combination can make discovery more precise, but it cannot establish what residents want or whether a service has local demand. Decisions should remain reversible until direct research or measured website behaviour confirms them.
06 / Evidence interpretation
Planning signals before design decisions
Population context: 33,603 people in 2021
Billingham's recorded population changed from 35,592 in 2001 to 33,603 in 2021 (-5.6%). This historical direction can inform content governance and capacity planning, but it is not a forecast and does not establish demand for a particular service.
Audience context: 21.3% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 6,266 people aged 0 to 15, 2,896 aged 16 to 24, 17,282 aged 25 to 64 and 7,151 aged 65 or over. Small differences from the headline population reflect the published source series; percentages here use the age-group total and should guide testing questions, not stereotypes.
Activity context: 43.1% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 43.1%. The published composition includes 26.1% retired, 5.7% long-term sick or disabled, 3.8% students and 4.7% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £130,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £45,375 in 2001 to £127,000 in 2021 and £130,000 in 2023, a published change of +186.5%. It is contextual evidence only—not a current affordability, revenue or customer-value estimate.
07 / Independent question set
Questions this evidence cannot answer on its own
These questions convert the profile-specific observations into falsifiable discovery work. They are not recommendations to create a service, location or page, and each needs direct user or behavioural evidence before it changes a website brief.
- 01
What evidence would show that the population change, 2001 to 2021 contrast between Billingham and Jarrow should alter update cadence, ownership and change-ready content models, rather than remain background context?
This question is traceable to population change, 2001 to 2021 at percentile 3.2 and a +0.5 pp profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 02
How should a prototype test pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting without assuming that Billingham's percentile 3.6 position predicts an individual user's needs?
The prompt combines one distinctive metric with the named classification comparator selected by the eight-metric method. It does not treat either record as search, lead or customer evidence.
- 03
Which real user task would justify changing how dated economic context is labelled and maintained after seeing Billingham's house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 position and its +34.2 pp difference from Washington?
The prompt combines one distinctive metric with the named national comparator selected by the eight-metric method. It does not treat either record as search, lead or customer evidence.
- 04
For Billingham's medium, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should population change, 2001 to 2021, 2023 median house price, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 be tested as separate website hypotheses without turning the combined pattern into a claim about local demand?
Cross-check all three named comparisons—Jarrow, Haydock, Washington—and define a user-research or behavioural measure for each question before changing navigation, page scope or conversion paths. The observations share one source but do not demonstrate causation.
08 / Practical brief
Website-planning recommendations for this evidence pattern
- 01
Separate employer and customer journeys
Billingham is classified as a working town. A useful website brief should separate recruitment, procurement and customer tasks, then give each journey its own proof, contact route and success measure instead of forcing every visitor through one generic enquiry page.
- 02
Differentiate from the nearby major centre
Billingham is nearer to a major town or city. Use specific offer boundaries, proof and response expectations to explain why the organisation is relevant; do not rely on a place-name heading or create a doorway that simply redirects users to a national service page.
- 03
Build a broad, task-led accessibility baseline
51.4% of the recorded 2021 age-group total is aged 25 to 64, with meaningful younger and older groups also present. Organise content by task, test keyboard and mobile use, and avoid designing around one assumed demographic persona.
- 04
Prioritise clarity before catalogue expansion
Billingham recorded -5.6% population change from 2001 to 2021 and 0% employment change from 2015 to 2024. Start with the few journeys that can be maintained well, instrument meaningful outcomes and expand only when verified questions or search data show a separate need.
09 / Method and limits
What this profile can—and cannot—support
This is a Mosalio editorial interpretation of the ONS May 2026 dataset for BUA24 code E63007381. The source periods differ by metric; values are historical, not live. The profile deliberately excludes ONS experimental visitor-to-resident fields and makes no claim about search volume, rankings, customers, a Mosalio office or physical delivery in Billingham.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Billingham.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Understanding towns in England and Wales, investigating socioeconomic trends, released . This Mosalio interpretation was first published on and last reviewed on .
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
How this page was made: Mosalio applies one documented, deterministic transform to the validated ONS record, calculates the displayed comparisons, and renders the result from source-controlled data. It is an automated public-data resource, not individually commissioned local market research. A portfolio-level editorial-value review checks every profile's source identity, distinctive metrics, peer evidence, synthesis and planning questions before index eligibility can be enabled.
Analysis basis: Midrank percentile across all accepted England records; a higher percentile means a higher published value, not a better outcome. Root-mean-square Euclidean distance across eight clipped robust z-scores; population and 2023 house price are log-transformed before median/MAD scaling.