E63010020 /East Midlands evidence profile
East Midlands evidence profile
Market Harborough digital planning profile
Market Harborough is a medium, non-coastal built-up area in East Midlands. ONS records show a 2021 population of 24,162; 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
- E63010020
- ITL1 region
- East Midlands
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Lower deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
14.8% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
in line with the 0% dataset median.
31.5% 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 84.8 of 100.
Upper quartile · percentile position 76.5 of 100.
Middle half · percentile position 28.6 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: sha256:001a2009cbc…e1b453470b37
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 Market Harborough minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Market Harborough is higher.
Regional peer
Countesthorpe · E63009893
East Midlands. Nearest complete record in East Midlands. ONS classification: Nearer - Lower deprivation - Residential.
- 2021 population
- +16,488 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +6 pp
- Economic inactivity
- 0 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£40,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +13.9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -1.3 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.7 pp
Classification peer
Clitheroe · E63007800
North West. Nearest complete record outside East Midlands with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Lower deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +7,536 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +12.9 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +0.6 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£103,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -27.6 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.3 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +1.3 pp
National peer
Sudbury · E63010924
East of England. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Further - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +240 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +7.5 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -2.2 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£32,750
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -1.2 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.8 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.1 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Market Harborough evidence synthesis: Population change, 2001 to 2021, House-price growth, 2001 to 2023, Population aged under 25
Market Harborough is recorded as a medium, 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: Population change, 2001 to 2021 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population aged 65 or over → 2023 median house price → 2021 population → Economic inactivity → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population aged under 25.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: Population change, 2001 to 2021 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population aged under 25 → Population aged 65 or over → 2023 median house price → 2021 population → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Economic inactivity.
Regional peer
Population change, 2001 to 2021: 26% · Countesthorpe delta +6 pp
The reviewed record positions Market Harborough at percentile 84.8 for population change, 2001 to 2021; its published value is 26% and its band is upper quartile. Using Countesthorpe as the regional peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is +6 pp; the peer was selected because nearest complete record in east midlands. Treat this combination as a hypothesis about update cadence, ownership and change-ready content models, and test it through dated user research and a documented content-review cycle. The responsible interpretation stops short of intent: historic population change is neither a forecast nor a lead estimate.
Classification peer
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023: 255.6% · Clitheroe delta -27.6 pp
The reviewed record positions Market Harborough at percentile 76.5 for house-price growth, 2001 to 2023; its published value is 255.6% and its band is upper quartile. Using Clitheroe as the classification peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is -27.6 pp; the peer was selected because nearest complete record outside east 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. The responsible interpretation stops short of intent: historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim.
National peer
Population aged under 25: 25.9% · Sudbury delta -0.8 pp
For population aged under 25, the source reports 25.9% for Market Harborough. That sits in the middle half, 21.4 percentile points from the middle position. Using Sudbury as the national peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is -0.8 pp; the peer was selected because nearest remaining complete england record. 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. The responsible interpretation stops short of intent: an age-group share does not determine channel preference.
Market Harborough's evidence pattern combines the medium, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city frame with three percentile observations and peer-specific deltas. That combination can make discovery more precise, but it cannot establish what residents want or whether a service has local demand. Decisions should remain reversible until direct research or measured website behaviour confirms them.
06 / Evidence interpretation
Planning signals before design decisions
Population context: 24,162 people in 2021
Market Harborough's recorded population changed from 19,173 in 2001 to 24,162 in 2021 (+26%). 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: 23% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 4,169 people aged 0 to 15, 2,098 aged 16 to 24, 12,334 aged 25 to 64 and 5,559 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: 38.4% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 38.4%. The published composition includes 27% retired, 2.7% long-term sick or disabled, 4% students and 2.9% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £320,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £90,000 in 2001 to £302,000 in 2021 and £320,000 in 2023, a published change of +255.6%. 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 Market Harborough's population change, 2001 to 2021 value and the Countesthorpe comparison to discuss update cadence, ownership and change-ready content models?
Countesthorpe is the constrained regional reference and is classified as Nearer - Lower deprivation - Residential; the question keeps historic population change is neither a forecast nor a lead estimate as an explicit limit.
- 02
How should a prototype test how dated economic context is labelled and maintained without assuming that Market Harborough's percentile 76.5 position predicts an individual user's needs?
Evidence basis: 255.6%, upper quartile, with Market Harborough minus the classification peer equal to -27.6 pp. Validation route: source-date checks and user tests for interpretation.
- 03
Which real user task would justify changing mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity after seeing Market Harborough's population aged under 25 position and its -0.8 pp difference from Sudbury?
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 Market Harborough's medium, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should population change, 2001 to 2021, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023, population aged under 25 be tested as separate website hypotheses without turning the combined pattern into a claim about local demand?
Cross-check all three named comparisons—Countesthorpe, Clitheroe, Sudbury—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
Market Harborough 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
Market Harborough 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
Treat readability as a conversion requirement
23% of the recorded 2021 age-group total is aged 65 or over. Use plain language, strong focus states, generous type, keyboard-operable controls and a non-digital contact alternative; validate these choices with real users rather than assuming age determines ability.
- 04
Prepare the content model for change
Market Harborough recorded +26% 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 E63010020. 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 Market Harborough.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Market Harborough.
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.