E63009591 /West Midlands evidence profile
West Midlands evidence profile
Cannock digital planning profile
Cannock is a medium, non-coastal built-up area in West Midlands. ONS records show a 2021 population of 63,057; the population grew steadily between 2001 and 2021, while the 2015 to 2024 employment series shows a flat employment count. 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
- E63009591
- ITL1 region
- West Midlands
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
3.2% below the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
in line with the 0% dataset median.
25.4% 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
Upper quartile · percentile position 86.2 of 100.
Middle half · percentile position 72.3 of 100.
Middle half · percentile position 30.8 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:c1f6a518ebe…d33b5c1ed0f9
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 Cannock minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Cannock is higher.
Regional peer
Stafford · E63009353
West Midlands. Nearest complete record in West Midlands. ONS classification: Nearer - Medium deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -8,638 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -6.8 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.7 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -3.1 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£8,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +25.8 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.1 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.8 pp
Classification peer
Ilkeston · E63009082
East Midlands. Nearest complete record outside West Midlands with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- +24,334 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +3.1 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.8 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£50,250
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -19.9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.8 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.3 pp
National peer
Carlton (Gedling) · E63009091
East Midlands. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Residential.
- 2021 population
- +13,274 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +5.8 pp
- Economic inactivity
- 0 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£3,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +10.8 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.9 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.6 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Cannock evidence synthesis: 2021 population, House-price growth, 2001 to 2023, Economic inactivity
Cannock 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: 2021 population → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population aged under 25 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population aged 65 or over → 2023 median house price → Economic inactivity.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: 2021 population → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Economic inactivity → 2023 median house price → Population aged 65 or over → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Population aged under 25.
Regional peer
2021 population: 63,057 · Stafford delta -8,638 people
Cannock's 2021 population is 63,057, a upper quartile result at percentile 86.2 among 936 complete England records. Against Stafford's reviewed regional record, the displayed delta is -8,638 people. That comparator comes from the documented rule: nearest complete record in west midlands. 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. This remains contextual evidence—population size does not establish addressable demand.
Classification peer
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023: 249.5% · Ilkeston delta -19.9 pp
For house-price growth, 2001 to 2023, the source reports 249.5% for Cannock. That sits in the middle half, 22.3 percentile points from the middle position. Ilkeston, the named classification peer from East Midlands, differs by -19.9 pp when the calculation is Cannock minus peer. Nearest complete record outside West Midlands 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. It must not be over-read, because historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim.
National peer
Economic inactivity: 37.1% · Carlton (Gedling) delta 0 pp
Cannock's economic inactivity is 37.1%, a middle half result at percentile 30.8 among 936 complete England records. Against Carlton (Gedling)'s reviewed national record, the displayed delta is 0 pp. That comparator comes from the documented rule: nearest remaining complete england record. Use the contrast to prioritise research into assisted, accessible and non-digital completion routes. A decision should wait for accessibility testing across real tasks and support-channel evidence. Keep the inference narrow: an aggregate inactivity rate cannot describe an individual visitor.
The distinctive metrics are not interchangeable: 2021 population, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023, economic inactivity each raise a different planning question when read beside Stafford, Ilkeston, Carlton (Gedling). For Cannock, 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: 63,057 people in 2021
Cannock's recorded population changed from 58,381 in 2001 to 63,057 in 2021 (+8%). 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: 18.6% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 11,345 people aged 0 to 15, 5,848 aged 16 to 24, 34,157 aged 25 to 64 and 11,711 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: 37.1% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 37.1%. The published composition includes 21.8% retired, 5% long-term sick or disabled, 3% students and 4.5% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £216,500 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £61,950 in 2001 to £190,000 in 2021 and £216,500 in 2023, a published change of +249.5%. 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
If the regional peer delta of -8,638 people is included in a brief, what decision about content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions could it inform and what result would falsify that hypothesis?
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
Which real user task would justify changing how dated economic context is labelled and maintained after seeing Cannock's house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 position and its -19.9 pp difference from Ilkeston?
This question is traceable to house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 at percentile 72.3 and a -19.9 pp profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 03
How should a prototype test assisted, accessible and non-digital completion routes without assuming that Cannock's percentile 30.8 position predicts an individual user's needs?
The prompt combines one distinctive metric with the named national comparator selected by the eight-metric method. It does not treat either record as search, lead or customer evidence.
- 04
For Cannock's medium, non-coastal, mixed built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should 2021 population, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023, economic inactivity be tested as separate website hypotheses without turning the combined pattern into a claim about local demand?
Cross-check all three named comparisons—Stafford, Ilkeston, Carlton (Gedling)—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
Cannock 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
Cannock 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
54.2% 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
Prioritise clarity before catalogue expansion
Cannock recorded +8% population change from 2001 to 2021 and 0% 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 E63009591. 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 Cannock.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Cannock.
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.