E63009743 /East Midlands evidence profile
East Midlands evidence profile
Leicester digital planning profile
Leicester is a major, non-coastal built-up area in East Midlands. ONS records show a 2021 population of 406,331; 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
- E63009743
- ITL1 region
- East Midlands
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
19.1% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
4.8% above the 0% dataset median.
89.7% 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 99.3 of 100.
Highest decile · percentile position 97.1 of 100.
Highest decile · percentile position 95.7 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:a838311a09a…37f7f79a520d
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 Leicester minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Leicester is higher.
Regional peer
Lincoln · E63008729
East Midlands. Nearest complete record in East Midlands. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +301,778 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +7.1 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.5 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -4.3 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£60,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +53.8 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.5 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -1.8 pp
Classification peer
Luton · E63011256
East of England. Nearest complete record outside East Midlands with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +172,807 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +8.6 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +3.9 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -22.9 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£65,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +32.5 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +1 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.7 pp
National peer
Peterborough · E63009810
East of England. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +215,739 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -8.8 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +5.2 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -4.8 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£10,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +36.8 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +3.4 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.8 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Leicester evidence synthesis: 2021 population, Population aged under 25, House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
Leicester 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 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Economic inactivity → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → 2023 median house price → Population aged 65 or over.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: 2021 population → Population aged under 25 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population aged 65 or over → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Economic inactivity → 2023 median house price → Employment change, 2015 to 2024.
Regional peer
2021 population: 406,331 · Lincoln delta +301,778 people
The reviewed record positions Leicester at percentile 99.3 for 2021 population; its published value is 406,331 and its band is highest decile. Lincoln, the named regional peer from East Midlands, differs by +301,778 people when the calculation is Leicester minus peer. Nearest complete record in East Midlands. This evidence can narrow a discovery question around content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions, while task-frequency interviews and observed completion data supplies the user-level check the aggregate data cannot provide. The boundary is important: population size does not establish addressable demand.
Classification peer
Population aged under 25: 36.3% · Luton delta +1 pp
At 36.3%, population aged under 25 places Leicester in the highest decile and at percentile 97.1 of the reviewed distribution. Using Luton as the classification peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is +1 pp; the peer was selected because nearest complete record outside east midlands with the same ons combined classification. This evidence can narrow a discovery question around mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity, while cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions supplies the user-level check the aggregate data cannot provide. No user or market conclusion follows automatically; an age-group share does not determine channel preference.
National peer
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023: 313.8% · Peterborough delta +36.8 pp
The reviewed record positions Leicester at percentile 95.7 for house-price growth, 2001 to 2023; its published value is 313.8% and its band is highest decile. For a bounded comparison rather than a national average, Peterborough supplies the national reference; Leicester is +36.8 pp from it on the displayed scale. Its practical use is to frame—not answer—a question about how dated economic context is labelled and maintained; the next evidence should come from source-date checks and user tests for interpretation. It must not be over-read, because historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim.
Together, 2021 population, population aged under 25, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 and the constrained comparisons with Lincoln, Luton, Peterborough create three separate research tracks for Leicester. 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: 406,331 people in 2021
Leicester's recorded population changed from 311,894 in 2001 to 406,331 in 2021 (+30.3%). 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: 12.6% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 84,666 people aged 0 to 15, 62,849 aged 16 to 24, 207,809 aged 25 to 64 and 51,024 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: 41.2% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 41.2%. The published composition includes 14.4% retired, 4.8% long-term sick or disabled, 10.3% students and 7.4% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £240,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £58,000 in 2001 to £223,000 in 2021 and £240,000 in 2023, a published change of +313.8%. 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
Where should the team record uncertainty when using Leicester's 2021 population value and the Lincoln comparison to discuss content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions?
Lincoln 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
Which real user task would justify changing mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity after seeing Leicester's population aged under 25 position and its +1 pp difference from Luton?
Luton is the constrained classification reference and is classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working; the question keeps an age-group share does not determine channel preference as an explicit limit.
- 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 Leicester?
Evidence basis: 313.8%, highest decile, with Leicester minus the national peer equal to +36.8 pp. Validation route: source-date checks and user tests for interpretation.
- 04
For Leicester's major, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should 2021 population, population aged under 25, 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—Lincoln, Luton, Peterborough—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
Leicester 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
Leicester 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
36.3% 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
Leicester recorded +30.3% population change from 2001 to 2021 and +4.8% 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 E63009743. 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 Leicester.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Leicester.
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.