E63009434 /West Midlands evidence profile
West Midlands evidence profile
Rugeley digital planning profile
Rugeley is a medium, non-coastal built-up area in West Midlands. ONS records show a 2021 population of 26,149; the population expanded quickly between 2001 and 2021, while the 2015 to 2024 employment series shows a material employment contraction. 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
- E63009434
- ITL1 region
- West Midlands
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Medium deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
3.9% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
12.5% below the 0% dataset median.
9.2% 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 12.6 of 100.
Middle half · percentile position 26.6 of 100.
Middle half · percentile position 65.2 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:d2050561a9a…3c754e11212c
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 Rugeley minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Rugeley is higher.
Regional peer
Coseley · E63009922
West Midlands. Nearest complete record in West Midlands. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Residential.
- 2021 population
- +943 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +8.4 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -2.6 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -12.5 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£775
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -7.3 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.8 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.6 pp
Classification peer
Queensbury · E63007939
Yorkshire and The Humber. Nearest complete record outside West Midlands with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Medium deprivation - Residential.
- 2021 population
- +16,442 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +3.8 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +4.2 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -12.5 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£28,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -14.2 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.7 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +3.2 pp
National peer
Heanor · E63009017
East Midlands. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Residential.
- 2021 population
- +1,885 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +2.9 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.1 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£27,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -5.9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.6 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +1.1 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Rugeley evidence synthesis: Employment change, 2015 to 2024, 2023 median house price, 2021 population
Rugeley is recorded as a medium, non-coastal, residential 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 change, 2001 to 2021 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population aged under 25 → Population aged 65 or over → Economic inactivity → 2023 median house price → Employment change, 2015 to 2024.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → 2023 median house price → 2021 population → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Economic inactivity → Population aged under 25 → Population aged 65 or over.
Regional peer
Employment change, 2015 to 2024: -12.5% · Coseley delta -12.5 pp
Among the eight reviewed measures, employment change, 2015 to 2024 stands out for Rugeley at -12.5%; its percentile position is 12.6 and its band is lower quartile. The same-source regional check uses Coseley, classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Residential. The Rugeley-minus-Coseley delta on this metric is -12.5 pp. Its practical use is to frame—not answer—a question about the separation of employer, worker and customer journeys; the next evidence should come from journey interviews plus measured form and contact outcomes. This remains contextual evidence—employment change does not prove commercial search intent.
Classification peer
2023 median house price: £200,000 · Queensbury delta +£28,000
Among the eight reviewed measures, 2023 median house price stands out for Rugeley at £200,000; its percentile position is 26.6 and its band is middle half. Using Queensbury as the classification peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is +£28,000; the peer was selected because nearest complete record outside west midlands with the same ons combined classification. Treat this combination as a hypothesis about pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting, and test it through 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.
National peer
2021 population: 26,149 · Heanor delta +1,885 people
At 26,149, 2021 population places Rugeley in the middle half and at percentile 65.2 of the reviewed distribution. The same-source national check uses Heanor, classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Residential. The Rugeley-minus-Heanor delta on this metric is +1,885 people. Treat this combination as a hypothesis about content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions, and test it through task-frequency interviews and observed completion data. This remains contextual evidence—population size does not establish addressable demand.
The distinctive metrics are not interchangeable: employment change, 2015 to 2024, 2023 median house price, 2021 population each raise a different planning question when read beside Coseley, Queensbury, Heanor. For Rugeley, the safe next step is therefore three small verification tasks rather than one demographic persona, locality claim or generic area-page conclusion.
06 / Evidence interpretation
Planning signals before design decisions
Population context: 26,149 people in 2021
Rugeley's recorded population changed from 22,724 in 2001 to 26,149 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: 20.3% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 4,887 people aged 0 to 15, 2,381 aged 16 to 24, 13,587 aged 25 to 64 and 5,297 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: 38.7% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 38.7%. The published composition includes 24.2% retired, 4.5% long-term sick or disabled, 3.1% students and 4.3% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £200,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £60,000 in 2001 to £183,750 in 2021 and £200,000 in 2023, a published change of +233.3%. 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
Where should the team record uncertainty when using Rugeley's employment change, 2015 to 2024 value and the Coseley comparison to discuss the separation of employer, worker and customer journeys?
This question is traceable to employment change, 2015 to 2024 at percentile 12.6 and a -12.5 pp profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 02
Where should the team record uncertainty when using Rugeley's 2023 median house price value and the Queensbury comparison to discuss pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting?
Evidence basis: £200,000, middle half, with Rugeley minus the classification peer equal to +£28,000. Validation route: comprehension tests using the organisation's real offer and fees.
- 03
How should a prototype test content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions without assuming that Rugeley's percentile 65.2 position predicts an individual user's needs?
Evidence basis: 26,149, middle half, with Rugeley minus the national peer equal to +1,885 people. Validation route: task-frequency interviews and observed completion data.
- 04
For Rugeley's medium, non-coastal, residential built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should employment change, 2015 to 2024, 2023 median house price, 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—Coseley, Queensbury, Heanor—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
Make service boundaries explicit
Rugeley is classified as residential. Explain delivery areas, remote or on-site conditions, response times and exclusions in visible copy. This reduces ambiguity for residents without inventing a local office or multiplying near-identical neighbourhood pages.
- 02
Differentiate from the nearby major centre
Rugeley 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% 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
Rugeley recorded +15.1% population change from 2001 to 2021 and -12.5% 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 E63009434. 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 Rugeley.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Rugeley.
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.