E63008113 /North West evidence profile
North West evidence profile
Chorley digital planning profile
Chorley is a medium, non-coastal built-up area in North West. ONS records show a 2021 population of 39,539; the population expanded quickly 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
- E63008113
- ITL1 region
- North West
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
3.9% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
5% above the 0% dataset median.
22.2% 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
Lower quartile · percentile position 15.9 of 100.
Upper quartile · percentile position 77.1 of 100.
Middle half · percentile position 69.4 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: sha256:26451de9356…95c8b555c039
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 Chorley minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Chorley is higher.
Regional peer
Horwich · E63008208
North West. Nearest complete record in North West. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +18,836 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +1.9 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +1.3 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +5 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£27,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +8.7 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +1.3 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.4 pp
Classification peer
Sutton in Ashfield · E63008854
East Midlands. Nearest complete record outside North West with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +3,104 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +3 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -2.6 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -6.8 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£3,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +6.3 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.1 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.5 pp
National peer
Mansfield (Mansfield) · E63008831
East Midlands. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Further - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -23,909 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +0.6 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.8 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -4.7 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£2,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -18.7 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.6 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +1 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Chorley evidence synthesis: 2023 median house price, 2021 population, House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
Chorley 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: 2021 population → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population aged under 25 → Economic inactivity → Population aged 65 or over → 2023 median house price.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: 2023 median house price → 2021 population → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Population aged 65 or over → Economic inactivity → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population aged under 25.
Regional peer
2023 median house price: £173,000 · Horwich delta -£27,000
For 2023 median house price, the source reports £173,000 for Chorley. That sits in the lower quartile, 34.1 percentile points from the middle position. Horwich, the named regional peer from North West, differs by -£27,000 when the calculation is Chorley minus peer. Nearest complete record in North West. 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. No user or market conclusion follows automatically; a median house price is not a household affordability measure.
Classification peer
2021 population: 39,539 · Sutton in Ashfield delta +3,104 people
Among the eight reviewed measures, 2021 population stands out for Chorley at 39,539; its percentile position is 77.1 and its band is upper quartile. For a bounded comparison rather than a national average, Sutton in Ashfield supplies the classification reference; Chorley is +3,104 people from it on the displayed scale. Its practical use is to frame—not answer—a question about content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions; the next evidence should come from task-frequency interviews and observed completion data. No user or market conclusion follows automatically; population size does not establish addressable demand.
National peer
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023: 246.3% · Mansfield (Mansfield) delta -18.7 pp
Among the eight reviewed measures, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 stands out for Chorley at 246.3%; its percentile position is 69.4 and its band is middle half. Mansfield (Mansfield), the named national peer from East Midlands, differs by -18.7 pp when the calculation is Chorley minus peer. Nearest remaining complete England record. Use the contrast to prioritise research into how dated economic context is labelled and maintained. A decision should wait for source-date checks and user tests for interpretation. No user or market conclusion follows automatically; historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim.
Together, 2023 median house price, 2021 population, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 and the constrained comparisons with Horwich, Sutton in Ashfield, Mansfield (Mansfield) create three separate research tracks for Chorley. They do not form a demand score. Keep each hypothesis independently testable, record contradictory findings and remove a planning assumption when user evidence does not support it.
06 / Evidence interpretation
Planning signals before design decisions
Population context: 39,539 people in 2021
Chorley's recorded population changed from 34,358 in 2001 to 39,539 in 2021 (+15.1%). 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: 19.5% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 7,515 people aged 0 to 15, 3,465 aged 16 to 24, 20,861 aged 25 to 64 and 7,712 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: 38.8% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 38.8%. The published composition includes 23.7% retired, 5.4% long-term sick or disabled, 3.1% students and 3.9% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £173,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £49,950 in 2001 to £154,155 in 2021 and £173,000 in 2023, a published change of +246.3%. 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
How should a prototype test pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting without assuming that Chorley's percentile 15.9 position predicts an individual user's needs?
Horwich is the constrained regional reference and is classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working; the question keeps a median house price is not a household affordability measure as an explicit limit.
- 02
Before prioritising content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions, which part of task-frequency interviews and observed completion data would verify whether this 2021 population observation matters to users in Chorley?
Evidence basis: 39,539, upper quartile, with Chorley minus the classification peer equal to +3,104 people. Validation route: task-frequency interviews and observed completion data.
- 03
Before prioritising how dated economic context is labelled and maintained, which part of source-date checks and user tests for interpretation would verify whether this house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 observation matters to users in Chorley?
Evidence basis: 246.3%, middle half, with Chorley minus the national peer equal to -18.7 pp. Validation route: source-date checks and user tests for interpretation.
- 04
For Chorley's medium, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should 2023 median house price, 2021 population, 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—Horwich, Sutton in Ashfield, Mansfield (Mansfield)—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
Chorley 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
Chorley 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
52.7% 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
Prepare the content model for change
Chorley recorded +15.1% population change from 2001 to 2021 and +5% employment change from 2015 to 2024. Use owned templates, update dates, accountable content roles and measurable conversion events so the site can evolve without publishing unreviewed route permutations.
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 E63008113. 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 Chorley.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Chorley.
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.