E63010106 /West Midlands evidence profile
West Midlands evidence profile
Solihull digital planning profile
Solihull is a large, non-coastal built-up area in West Midlands. ONS records show a 2021 population of 107,754; 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
- E63010106
- ITL1 region
- West Midlands
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Lower deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
4% below the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
in line with the 0% dataset median.
36% below 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 93.4 of 100.
Lower quartile · percentile position 20.1 of 100.
Middle half · percentile position 73.1 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: sha256:2d141eb7933…41e7bee65bde
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 Solihull minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Solihull is higher.
Regional peer
Royal Sutton Coldfield · E63009880
West Midlands. Nearest complete record in West Midlands. ONS classification: Nearer - Lower deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- +14,080 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -0.1 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.2 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -6.9 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£15,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -1.7 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.5 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -1.1 pp
Classification peer
Harrogate · E63007692
Yorkshire and The Humber. Nearest complete record outside West Midlands with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Lower deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +32,232 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +2.4 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +2.5 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£42,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -29.6 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +1 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +1.1 pp
National peer
Poole · E63013860
South West. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Medium deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -33,255 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -3.7 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +0.1 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -6.6 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£10,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -18.9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +1.3 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.6 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Solihull evidence synthesis: 2021 population, House-price growth, 2001 to 2023, 2023 median house price
Solihull is recorded as a large, 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 → 2023 median house price → Population aged 65 or over → Economic inactivity → Population aged under 25 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: 2021 population → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → 2023 median house price → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Population aged 65 or over → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population aged under 25 → Economic inactivity.
Regional peer
2021 population: 107,754 · Royal Sutton Coldfield delta +14,080 people
The reviewed record positions Solihull at percentile 93.4 for 2021 population; its published value is 107,754 and its band is highest decile. The constrained regional comparison is Royal Sutton Coldfield (E63009880). On this measure, Solihull minus that record is +14,080 people; the selection basis is nearest complete record in west 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
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023: 188.1% · Harrogate delta -29.6 pp
Solihull's house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 is 188.1%, a lower quartile result at percentile 20.1 among 936 complete England records. For a bounded comparison rather than a national average, Harrogate supplies the classification reference; Solihull is -29.6 pp from it on the displayed scale. Use the contrast to prioritise research into how dated economic context is labelled and maintained. A decision should wait for source-date checks and user tests for interpretation. Keep the inference narrow: historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim.
National peer
2023 median house price: £340,000 · Poole delta -£10,000
For 2023 median house price, the source reports £340,000 for Solihull. That sits in the middle half, 23.1 percentile points from the middle position. The same-source national check uses Poole, classified as Nearer - Medium deprivation - Working. The Solihull-minus-Poole delta on this metric is -£10,000. Use the contrast to prioritise research into pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting. A decision should wait for comprehension tests using the organisation's real offer and fees. The responsible interpretation stops short of intent: a median house price is not a household affordability measure.
This synthesis gives Solihull a bounded evidence trail: three furthest-from-middle measures, three named peers and the large, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification. The combination is useful for deciding what to investigate, not for predicting enquiries. A website brief should preserve the source dates, validation method and reasons for accepting or rejecting each hypothesis.
06 / Evidence interpretation
Planning signals before design decisions
Population context: 107,754 people in 2021
Solihull's recorded population changed from 100,508 in 2001 to 107,754 in 2021 (+7.2%). 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: 22.1% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 19,728 people aged 0 to 15, 9,532 aged 16 to 24, 54,663 aged 25 to 64 and 23,800 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: 40.2% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 40.2%. The published composition includes 27% retired, 2.6% long-term sick or disabled, 4.3% students and 4% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £340,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £118,000 in 2001 to £316,950 in 2021 and £340,000 in 2023, a published change of +188.1%. 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
Before prioritising content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions, which part of task-frequency interviews and observed completion data would verify whether this 2021 population observation matters to users in Solihull?
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
Where should the team record uncertainty when using Solihull's house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 value and the Harrogate comparison to discuss how dated economic context is labelled and maintained?
Harrogate is the constrained classification reference and is classified as Nearer - Lower deprivation - Working; the question keeps historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim as an explicit limit.
- 03
Where should the team record uncertainty when using Solihull's 2023 median house price value and the Poole comparison to discuss pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting?
Poole is the constrained national reference and is classified as Nearer - Medium deprivation - Working; the question keeps a median house price is not a household affordability measure as an explicit limit.
- 04
For Solihull's large, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should 2021 population, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023, 2023 median house price be tested as separate website hypotheses without turning the combined pattern into a claim about local demand?
Cross-check all three named comparisons—Royal Sutton Coldfield, Harrogate, Poole—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
Solihull 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
Solihull 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
22.1% 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
Prioritise clarity before catalogue expansion
Solihull recorded +7.2% 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 E63010106. 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 Solihull.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Solihull.
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.