E63007960 /North West evidence profile
North West evidence profile
Accrington digital planning profile
Accrington is a medium, non-coastal built-up area in North West. ONS records show a 2021 population of 34,897; the population grew steadily between 2001 and 2021, while the 2015 to 2024 employment series shows modest employment growth. 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
- E63007960
- ITL1 region
- North West
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
6.2% below the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
9.1% above the 0% dataset median.
47.3% above 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 0.8 of 100.
Highest decile · percentile position 94 of 100.
Lower quartile · percentile position 11.5 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:da76206d3f7…3b73544b7011
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 Accrington minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Accrington is higher.
Regional peer
Farnworth · E63008278
North West. Nearest complete record in North West. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +5,397 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -7.4 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +2.3 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -9.1 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£47,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -26 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.3 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.9 pp
Classification peer
Keighley · E63007806
Yorkshire and The Humber. Nearest complete record outside North West with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- -14,137 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -6.5 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +0.8 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +9.1 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£33,250
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +44.6 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.7 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.1 pp
National peer
Batley · E63007983
Yorkshire and The Humber. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -9,597 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -2.4 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +2.2 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -1.4 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£55,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +33.1 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.2 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.9 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Accrington evidence synthesis: 2023 median house price, Population aged under 25, Population aged 65 or over
Accrington is recorded as a medium, non-coastal, mixed 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: Population aged under 25 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Economic inactivity → 2021 population → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Population aged 65 or over → 2023 median house price.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: 2023 median house price → Population aged under 25 → Population aged 65 or over → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Economic inactivity → 2021 population → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024.
Regional peer
2023 median house price: £104,000 · Farnworth delta -£47,000
2023 median house price is one of Accrington's three furthest-from-middle observations: £104,000, percentile 0.8, lowest decile. Farnworth, the named regional peer from North West, differs by -£47,000 when the calculation is Accrington minus peer. Nearest complete record in North West. For planning, document the observation beside pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting and require comprehension tests using the organisation's real offer and fees before treating the idea as an accepted requirement. This remains contextual evidence—a median house price is not a household affordability measure.
Classification peer
Population aged under 25: 34.1% · Keighley delta -0.7 pp
The reviewed record positions Accrington at percentile 94 for population aged under 25; its published value is 34.1% and its band is highest decile. Using Keighley as the classification peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is -0.7 pp; the peer was selected because nearest complete record outside north west with the same ons combined classification. This evidence can narrow a discovery question around mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity, while cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions supplies the user-level check the aggregate data cannot provide. No user or market conclusion follows automatically; an age-group share does not determine channel preference.
National peer
Population aged 65 or over: 15.1% · Batley delta +0.9 pp
At 15.1%, population aged 65 or over places Accrington in the lower quartile and at percentile 11.5 of the reviewed distribution. Against Batley's reviewed national record, the displayed delta is +0.9 pp. That comparator comes from the documented rule: nearest remaining complete england record. Treat this combination as a hypothesis about readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives, and test it through inclusive usability sessions and accessibility conformance checks. It must not be over-read, because an age-group share does not determine digital ability.
This synthesis gives Accrington a bounded evidence trail: three furthest-from-middle measures, three named peers and the medium, non-coastal, mixed built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification. The combination is useful for deciding what to investigate, not for predicting enquiries. A website brief should preserve the source dates, validation method and reasons for accepting or rejecting each hypothesis.
06 / Evidence interpretation
Planning signals before design decisions
Population context: 34,897 people in 2021
Accrington's recorded population changed from 33,238 in 2001 to 34,897 in 2021 (+5%). 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: 15.1% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 7,969 people aged 0 to 15, 3,937 aged 16 to 24, 17,712 aged 25 to 64 and 5,286 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: 44.3% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 44.3%. The published composition includes 18.7% retired, 7.4% long-term sick or disabled, 5.9% students and 7.8% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £104,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £28,000 in 2001 to £108,000 in 2021 and £104,000 in 2023, a published change of +271.4%. 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
Before prioritising pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting, which part of comprehension tests using the organisation's real offer and fees would verify whether this 2023 median house price observation matters to users in Accrington?
The prompt combines one distinctive metric with the named regional comparator selected by the eight-metric method. It does not treat either record as search, lead or customer evidence.
- 02
Where should the team record uncertainty when using Accrington's population aged under 25 value and the Keighley comparison to discuss mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity?
This question is traceable to population aged under 25 at percentile 94 and a -0.7 pp profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 03
Where should the team record uncertainty when using Accrington's population aged 65 or over value and the Batley comparison to discuss readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives?
This question is traceable to population aged 65 or over at percentile 11.5 and a +0.9 pp profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 04
For Accrington's medium, non-coastal, mixed built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should 2023 median house price, population aged under 25, population aged 65 or over be tested as separate website hypotheses without turning the combined pattern into a claim about local demand?
Cross-check all three named comparisons—Farnworth, Keighley, Batley—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
Design for mixed local intent
Accrington has a mixed job-density classification. The information architecture should distinguish business, resident and visitor tasks where the organisation actually serves them, while sharing one evidence library so claims remain consistent across journeys.
- 02
Differentiate from the nearby major centre
Accrington 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
Support quick comparison without hiding detail
34.1% of the recorded 2021 age-group total is under 25. Lead with concise task summaries and responsive performance, while keeping fees, eligibility, privacy and next steps available in the same journey rather than behind a social-only channel.
- 04
Prioritise clarity before catalogue expansion
Accrington recorded +5% population change from 2001 to 2021 and +9.1% 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 E63007960. 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 Accrington.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Accrington.
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.