E63008268 /Yorkshire and The Humber evidence profile
Yorkshire and The Humber evidence profile
Barnsley digital planning profile
Barnsley is a medium, non-coastal built-up area in Yorkshire and The Humber. ONS records show a 2021 population of 71,394; 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
- E63008268
- ITL1 region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
1.3% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
6.3% above the 0% dataset median.
67.7% 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 7.7 of 100.
Highest decile · percentile position 92.2 of 100.
Upper quartile · percentile position 88.1 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: sha256:3868e125c44…f05192c195e3
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 Barnsley minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Barnsley is higher.
Regional peer
Doncaster · E63008314
Yorkshire and The Humber. Nearest complete record in Yorkshire and The Humber. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -15,700 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -2 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +0.2 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +3.2 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£12,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +20.3 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.8 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.9 pp
Classification peer
Chorley · E63008113
North West. Nearest complete record outside Yorkshire and The Humber with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +31,855 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -2.6 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +1.7 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +1.3 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£30,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +45.5 pp
- Population aged under 25
- 0 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -1.8 pp
National peer
Leigh (Wigan) · E63008365
North West. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- +25,078 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +1.4 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +1 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +0.4 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£7,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -14.2 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.1 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.2 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Barnsley evidence synthesis: 2023 median house price, House-price growth, 2001 to 2023, 2021 population
Barnsley 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: House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → 2021 population → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population aged under 25 → Economic inactivity → 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 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → 2021 population → Population aged 65 or over → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population aged under 25 → Economic inactivity → Population change, 2001 to 2021.
Regional peer
2023 median house price: £143,000 · Doncaster delta -£12,000
The reviewed record positions Barnsley at percentile 7.7 for 2023 median house price; its published value is £143,000 and its band is lowest decile. Using Doncaster as the regional peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is -£12,000; the peer was selected because nearest complete record in yorkshire and the humber. Use the contrast to prioritise research into pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting. A decision should wait for 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.
Classification peer
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023: 291.8% · Chorley delta +45.5 pp
For house-price growth, 2001 to 2023, the source reports 291.8% for Barnsley. That sits in the highest decile, 42.2 percentile points from the middle position. Against Chorley's reviewed classification record, the displayed delta is +45.5 pp. That comparator comes from the documented rule: nearest complete record outside yorkshire and the humber with the same ons combined classification. For planning, document the observation beside how dated economic context is labelled and maintained and require source-date checks and user tests for interpretation before treating the idea as an accepted requirement. Keep the inference narrow: historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim.
National peer
2021 population: 71,394 · Leigh (Wigan) delta +25,078 people
At 71,394, 2021 population places Barnsley in the upper quartile and at percentile 88.1 of the reviewed distribution. The constrained national comparison is Leigh (Wigan) (E63008365). On this measure, Barnsley minus that record is +25,078 people; the selection basis is nearest remaining complete england record. A defensible brief can turn the pair into a verification task for content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions, using task-frequency interviews and observed completion data before changing the information architecture. The boundary is important: population size does not establish addressable demand.
Together, 2023 median house price, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023, 2021 population and the constrained comparisons with Doncaster, Chorley, Leigh (Wigan) create three separate research tracks for Barnsley. 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: 71,394 people in 2021
Barnsley's recorded population changed from 63,443 in 2001 to 71,394 in 2021 (+12.5%). 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: 17.7% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 13,213 people aged 0 to 15, 6,650 aged 16 to 24, 38,938 aged 25 to 64 and 12,625 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: 40.5% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 40.5%. The published composition includes 21.3% retired, 7% long-term sick or disabled, 3.5% students and 5.3% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £143,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £36,500 in 2001 to £135,000 in 2021 and £143,000 in 2023, a published change of +291.8%. 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 2023 median house price contrast between Barnsley and Doncaster should alter pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting, rather than remain background context?
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 Barnsley's house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 value and the Chorley comparison to discuss how dated economic context is labelled and maintained?
Chorley is the constrained classification reference and is classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working; the question keeps historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim as an explicit limit.
- 03
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 Barnsley?
Leigh (Wigan) is the constrained national reference and is classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed; the question keeps population size does not establish addressable demand as an explicit limit.
- 04
For Barnsley's medium, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should 2023 median house price, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023, 2021 population be tested as separate website hypotheses without turning the combined pattern into a claim about local demand?
Cross-check all three named comparisons—Doncaster, Chorley, Leigh (Wigan)—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
Barnsley 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
Barnsley 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
54.5% 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
Barnsley recorded +12.5% population change from 2001 to 2021 and +6.3% 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 E63008268. 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 Barnsley.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Barnsley.
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.