E63010556 /East of England evidence profile
East of England evidence profile
Cambridge (Cambridge) digital planning profile
Cambridge (Cambridge) is a large, non-coastal built-up area in East of England. ONS records show a 2021 population of 152,742; the population expanded quickly between 2001 and 2021, while the 2015 to 2024 employment series shows strong employment expansion. 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
- E63010556
- ITL1 region
- East of England
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Lower deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
25.6% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
17.3% above the 0% dataset median.
21.9% 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
Lowest decile · percentile position 2.1 of 100.
Highest decile · percentile position 96.2 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:d375abba9e7…2746b5e32b31
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 Cambridge (Cambridge) minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Cambridge (Cambridge) is higher.
Regional peer
Colchester · E63011220
East of England. Nearest complete record in East of England. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +22,346 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +4.4 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +3.8 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +9.5 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£172,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -17.1 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +1.9 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -3.4 pp
Classification peer
Oxford · E63011595
South East. Nearest complete record outside East of England with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Lower deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -16,870 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +16.7 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -3.1 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +14.1 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£27,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +49.9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -2.2 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.9 pp
National peer
Slough · E63012046
South East. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -14,126 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +5.6 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +6.4 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +14.6 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£87,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +6.9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.2 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.7 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Cambridge (Cambridge) evidence synthesis: Population aged 65 or over, 2021 population, Population aged under 25
Cambridge (Cambridge) 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 → Population aged under 25 → 2023 median house price → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Economic inactivity → Population aged 65 or over.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: Population aged 65 or over → 2021 population → Population aged under 25 → 2023 median house price → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Economic inactivity.
Regional peer
Population aged 65 or over: 11.1% · Colchester delta -3.4 pp
For population aged 65 or over, the source reports 11.1% for Cambridge (Cambridge). That sits in the lowest decile, 47.9 percentile points from the middle position. The constrained regional comparison is Colchester (E63011220). On this measure, Cambridge (Cambridge) minus that record is -3.4 pp; the selection basis is nearest complete record in east of england. Its practical use is to frame—not answer—a question about readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives; the next evidence should come from inclusive usability sessions and accessibility conformance checks. No user or market conclusion follows automatically; an age-group share does not determine digital ability.
Classification peer
2021 population: 152,742 · Oxford delta -16,870 people
For 2021 population, the source reports 152,742 for Cambridge (Cambridge). That sits in the highest decile, 46.2 percentile points from the middle position. Using Oxford as the classification peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is -16,870 people; the peer was selected because nearest complete record outside east of england with the same ons combined classification. 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.
National peer
Population aged under 25: 35.2% · Slough delta +0.2 pp
Cambridge (Cambridge)'s population aged under 25 is 35.2%, a highest decile result at percentile 95.9 among 936 complete England records. Using Slough as the national peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is +0.2 pp; the peer was selected because nearest remaining complete england record. A defensible brief can turn the pair into a verification task for mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity, using cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions before changing the information architecture. The boundary is important: an age-group share does not determine channel preference.
Cambridge (Cambridge)'s evidence pattern combines the large, 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: 152,742 people in 2021
Cambridge (Cambridge)'s recorded population changed from 111,656 in 2001 to 152,742 in 2021 (+36.8%). 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: 11.1% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 22,389 people aged 0 to 15, 31,399 aged 16 to 24, 81,991 aged 25 to 64 and 17,019 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: 39.8% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 39.8%. The published composition includes 11.5% retired, 2.6% long-term sick or disabled, 19.9% students and 3.5% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £477,500 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £138,000 in 2001 to £449,000 in 2021 and £477,500 in 2023, a published change of +246%. 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
Which real user task would justify changing readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives after seeing Cambridge (Cambridge)'s population aged 65 or over position and its -3.4 pp difference from Colchester?
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 content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions after seeing Cambridge (Cambridge)'s 2021 population position and its -16,870 people difference from Oxford?
The prompt combines one distinctive metric with the named classification comparator selected by the eight-metric method. It does not treat either record as search, lead or customer evidence.
- 03
How should a prototype test mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity without assuming that Cambridge (Cambridge)'s percentile 95.9 position predicts an individual user's needs?
Evidence basis: 35.2%, highest decile, with Cambridge (Cambridge) minus the national peer equal to +0.2 pp. Validation route: cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions.
- 04
For Cambridge (Cambridge)'s large, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should population aged 65 or over, 2021 population, 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—Colchester, Oxford, Slough—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
Cambridge (Cambridge) 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
Cambridge (Cambridge) 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
35.2% 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
Cambridge (Cambridge) recorded +36.8% population change from 2001 to 2021 and +17.3% 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 E63010556. 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 Cambridge (Cambridge).
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Cambridge (Cambridge).
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.