E63009871 /West Midlands evidence profile
West Midlands evidence profile
Darlaston digital planning profile
Darlaston is a medium, non-coastal built-up area in West Midlands. ONS records show a 2021 population of 21,177; the population expanded quickly 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
- E63009871
- ITL1 region
- West Midlands
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
16.1% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
in line with the 0% dataset median.
90.2% 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
Highest decile · percentile position 98.1 of 100.
Lowest decile · percentile position 2.9 of 100.
Highest decile · percentile position 95.9 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: sha256:8f4cc03bff1…ed438207fd2c
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 Darlaston minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Darlaston is higher.
Regional peer
Smethwick · E63010015
West Midlands. Nearest complete record in West Midlands. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- -35,166 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -5.2 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -1.4 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +9.5 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£21,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +53.2 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.4 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +1 pp
Classification peer
Dewsbury · E63008070
Yorkshire and The Humber. Nearest complete record outside West Midlands with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- -42,553 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +13.4 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -3.2 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +4.2 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£14,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +87.8 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.5 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -1 pp
National peer
Tipton · E63009939
West Midlands. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Residential.
- 2021 population
- -26,025 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +2.3 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +0.3 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£11,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +48 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +3.8 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -2.1 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Darlaston evidence synthesis: Population aged under 25, Population aged 65 or over, House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
Darlaston 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: Population aged under 25 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Economic inactivity → 2021 population → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → 2023 median house price → Population aged 65 or over.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: Population aged under 25 → Population aged 65 or over → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → 2023 median house price → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Economic inactivity → 2021 population.
Regional peer
Population aged under 25: 37.2% · Smethwick delta -0.4 pp
Population aged under 25 is one of Darlaston's three furthest-from-middle observations: 37.2%, percentile 98.1, highest decile. Against Smethwick's reviewed regional record, the displayed delta is -0.4 pp. That comparator comes from the documented rule: nearest complete record in west midlands. Its practical use is to frame—not answer—a question about mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity; the next evidence should come from cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions. No user or market conclusion follows automatically; an age-group share does not determine channel preference.
Classification peer
Population aged 65 or over: 11.6% · Dewsbury delta -1 pp
Darlaston's population aged 65 or over is 11.6%, a lowest decile result at percentile 2.9 among 936 complete England records. For a bounded comparison rather than a national average, Dewsbury supplies the classification reference; Darlaston is -1 pp from it on the displayed scale. Treat this combination as a hypothesis about readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives, and test it through inclusive usability sessions and accessibility conformance checks. The responsible interpretation stops short of intent: an age-group share does not determine digital ability.
National peer
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023: 314.3% · Tipton delta +48 pp
Among the eight reviewed measures, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 stands out for Darlaston at 314.3%; its percentile position is 95.9 and its band is highest decile. Using Tipton as the national peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is +48 pp; the peer was selected because nearest remaining complete england record. This evidence can narrow a discovery question around how dated economic context is labelled and maintained, while source-date checks and user tests for interpretation supplies the user-level check the aggregate data cannot provide. It must not be over-read, because historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim.
The distinctive metrics are not interchangeable: population aged under 25, population aged 65 or over, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 each raise a different planning question when read beside Smethwick, Dewsbury, Tipton. For Darlaston, 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: 21,177 people in 2021
Darlaston's recorded population changed from 16,639 in 2001 to 21,177 in 2021 (+27.3%). 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: 11.6% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 5,527 people aged 0 to 15, 2,343 aged 16 to 24, 10,836 aged 25 to 64 and 2,462 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: 41.1% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 41.1%. The published composition includes 14.3% retired, 6.8% long-term sick or disabled, 6.2% students and 9.3% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £174,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £42,000 in 2001 to £160,000 in 2021 and £174,000 in 2023, a published change of +314.3%. 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
What evidence would show that the population aged under 25 contrast between Darlaston and Smethwick should alter mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity, rather than remain background context?
Evidence basis: 37.2%, highest decile, with Darlaston minus the regional peer equal to -0.4 pp. Validation route: cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions.
- 02
Before prioritising readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives, which part of inclusive usability sessions and accessibility conformance checks would verify whether this population aged 65 or over observation matters to users in Darlaston?
Dewsbury is the constrained classification reference and is classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed; the question keeps an age-group share does not determine digital ability as an explicit limit.
- 03
What evidence would show that the house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 contrast between Darlaston and Tipton should alter how dated economic context is labelled and maintained, rather than remain background context?
Tipton is the constrained national reference and is classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Residential; the question keeps historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim as an explicit limit.
- 04
For Darlaston's medium, non-coastal, mixed built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should population aged under 25, population aged 65 or over, 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—Smethwick, Dewsbury, Tipton—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
Darlaston 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
Darlaston 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
37.2% 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
Darlaston recorded +27.3% population change from 2001 to 2021 and 0% 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 E63009871. 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 Darlaston.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Darlaston.
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.