E63009183 /East Midlands evidence profile
East Midlands evidence profile
Derby digital planning profile
Derby is a major, non-coastal built-up area in East Midlands. ONS records show a 2021 population of 275,561; the population expanded quickly between 2001 and 2021, while the 2015 to 2024 employment series shows strong employment expansion. 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
- E63009183
- ITL1 region
- East Midlands
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
9.7% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
11.1% above the 0% dataset median.
23.7% 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
Highest decile · percentile position 98.7 of 100.
Upper quartile · percentile position 89.9 of 100.
Lower quartile · percentile position 16.3 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:c79a195f272…d63aa0fbdb9b
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 Derby minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Derby is higher.
Regional peer
Northampton · E63010463
East Midlands. Nearest complete record in East Midlands. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +31,678 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -5.2 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +6.8 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +1.7 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£45,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +42.9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.5 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +1.7 pp
Classification peer
Telford · E63009565
West Midlands. Nearest complete record outside East Midlands with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +119,235 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +5.2 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +1.4 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +0.4 pp
- 2023 median house price
- £0
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +6.1 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +1.5 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.5 pp
National peer
Wolverhampton · E63009805
West Midlands. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +41,918 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +11.5 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -1.3 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -2.4 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£5,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +11.7 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.9 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.8 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Derby evidence synthesis: 2021 population, Population aged under 25, Population aged 65 or over
Derby is recorded as a major, 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 → Population aged under 25 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Economic inactivity → 2023 median house price → Population aged 65 or over.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: 2021 population → Population aged under 25 → Population aged 65 or over → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → 2023 median house price → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Economic inactivity.
Regional peer
2021 population: 275,561 · Northampton delta +31,678 people
2021 population is one of Derby's three furthest-from-middle observations: 275,561, percentile 98.7, highest decile. The same-source regional check uses Northampton, classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working. The Derby-minus-Northampton delta on this metric is +31,678 people. 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 responsible interpretation stops short of intent: population size does not establish addressable demand.
Classification peer
Population aged under 25: 32.2% · Telford delta +1.5 pp
At 32.2%, population aged under 25 places Derby in the upper quartile and at percentile 89.9 of the reviewed distribution. The same-source classification check uses Telford, classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working. The Derby-minus-Telford delta on this metric is +1.5 pp. For planning, document the observation beside mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity and require cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions before treating the idea as an accepted requirement. The boundary is important: an age-group share does not determine channel preference.
National peer
Population aged 65 or over: 16% · Wolverhampton delta -0.8 pp
Among the eight reviewed measures, population aged 65 or over stands out for Derby at 16%; its percentile position is 16.3 and its band is lower quartile. Against Wolverhampton's reviewed national record, the displayed delta is -0.8 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. This remains contextual evidence—an age-group share does not determine digital ability.
This synthesis gives Derby a bounded evidence trail: three furthest-from-middle measures, three named peers and the major, non-coastal, working 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: 275,561 people in 2021
Derby's recorded population changed from 227,858 in 2001 to 275,561 in 2021 (+20.9%). 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: 16% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 55,549 people aged 0 to 15, 33,094 aged 16 to 24, 142,949 aged 25 to 64 and 43,985 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: 39.7% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 39.7%. The published composition includes 19.8% retired, 4.9% long-term sick or disabled, 6% students and 5.6% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £205,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £58,950 in 2001 to £197,000 in 2021 and £205,000 in 2023, a published change of +247.8%. 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
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 Derby?
Northampton is the constrained regional reference and is classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working; the question keeps population size does not establish addressable demand as an explicit limit.
- 02
If the classification peer delta of +1.5 pp is included in a brief, what decision about mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity could it inform and what result would falsify that hypothesis?
Evidence basis: 32.2%, upper quartile, with Derby minus the classification peer equal to +1.5 pp. Validation route: cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions.
- 03
What evidence would show that the population aged 65 or over contrast between Derby and Wolverhampton should alter readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives, rather than remain background context?
Evidence basis: 16%, lower quartile, with Derby minus the national peer equal to -0.8 pp. Validation route: inclusive usability sessions and accessibility conformance checks.
- 04
For Derby's major, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should 2021 population, 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—Northampton, Telford, Wolverhampton—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
Derby 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
Derby 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
32.2% 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
Prepare the content model for change
Derby recorded +20.9% population change from 2001 to 2021 and +11.1% 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 E63009183. 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 Derby.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Derby.
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.