E63011409 /East of England evidence profile
East of England evidence profile
Clacton-on-Sea digital planning profile
Clacton-on-Sea is a medium, coastal built-up area in East of England. ONS records show a 2021 population of 53,190; the population remained comparatively stable 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
- E63011409
- ITL1 region
- East of England
- Coastal
- Coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
7.5% below the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
in line with the 0% dataset median.
8.3% 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 98.1 of 100.
Highest decile · percentile position 94 of 100.
Upper quartile · percentile position 83.6 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: sha256:3ba64449e2a…fcb7233ce897
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 Clacton-on-Sea minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Clacton-on-Sea is higher.
Regional peer
North Walsham · E63009248
East of England. Nearest complete record in East of England. ONS classification: Further - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- +40,361 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -4.6 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +5.3 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£5,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -40.8 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +1.1 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.3 pp
Classification peer
Southport · E63008135
North West. Nearest complete record outside East of England with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- -41,248 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +0.4 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +8 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +3 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£39,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +15.8 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.8 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +4.1 pp
National peer
Bridlington · E63007623
Yorkshire and The Humber. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Further - Higher deprivation - Residential.
- 2021 population
- +18,359 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- 0 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -1.6 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- 0 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£74,250
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +2.9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +2 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -1.9 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Clacton-on-Sea evidence synthesis: Economic inactivity, Population aged 65 or over, 2021 population
Clacton-on-Sea is recorded as a medium, 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: Economic inactivity → Population aged 65 or over → 2021 population → 2023 median house price → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Population aged under 25.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: Economic inactivity → Population aged 65 or over → 2021 population → Population aged under 25 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → 2023 median house price.
Regional peer
Economic inactivity: 53% · North Walsham delta +5.3 pp
Economic inactivity is one of Clacton-on-Sea's three furthest-from-middle observations: 53%, percentile 98.1, highest decile. The constrained regional comparison is North Walsham (E63009248). On this measure, Clacton-on-Sea minus that record is +5.3 pp; the selection basis is nearest complete record in east of england. Treat this combination as a hypothesis about assisted, accessible and non-digital completion routes, and test it through accessibility testing across real tasks and support-channel evidence. It must not be over-read, because an aggregate inactivity rate cannot describe an individual visitor.
Classification peer
Population aged 65 or over: 29.8% · Southport delta +4.1 pp
The reviewed record positions Clacton-on-Sea at percentile 94 for population aged 65 or over; its published value is 29.8% and its band is highest decile. Southport, the named classification peer from North West, differs by +4.1 pp when the calculation is Clacton-on-Sea minus peer. Nearest complete record outside East of England with the same ONS combined classification. 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. This remains contextual evidence—an age-group share does not determine digital ability.
National peer
2021 population: 53,190 · Bridlington delta +18,359 people
At 53,190, 2021 population places Clacton-on-Sea in the upper quartile and at percentile 83.6 of the reviewed distribution. For a bounded comparison rather than a national average, Bridlington supplies the national reference; Clacton-on-Sea is +18,359 people from it on the displayed scale. For planning, document the observation beside content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions and require task-frequency interviews and observed completion data before treating the idea as an accepted requirement. It must not be over-read, because population size does not establish addressable demand.
The distinctive metrics are not interchangeable: economic inactivity, population aged 65 or over, 2021 population each raise a different planning question when read beside North Walsham, Southport, Bridlington. For Clacton-on-Sea, 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: 53,190 people in 2021
Clacton-on-Sea's recorded population changed from 51,284 in 2001 to 53,190 in 2021 (+3.7%). 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: 29.8% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 8,698 people aged 0 to 15, 4,551 aged 16 to 24, 24,122 aged 25 to 64 and 15,850 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: 53% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 53%. The published composition includes 34.7% retired, 6.7% long-term sick or disabled, 2.9% students and 5.3% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £249,500 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £79,000 in 2001 to £235,000 in 2021 and £249,500 in 2023, a published change of +215.8%. 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
If the regional peer delta of +5.3 pp is included in a brief, what decision about assisted, accessible and non-digital completion routes could it inform and what result would falsify that hypothesis?
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
If the classification peer delta of +4.1 pp is included in a brief, what decision about readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives could it inform and what result would falsify that hypothesis?
Southport 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
How should a prototype test content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions without assuming that Clacton-on-Sea's percentile 83.6 position predicts an individual user's needs?
Evidence basis: 53,190, upper quartile, with Clacton-on-Sea minus the national peer equal to +18,359 people. Validation route: task-frequency interviews and observed completion data.
- 04
For Clacton-on-Sea's medium, coastal, mixed built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should economic inactivity, population aged 65 or over, 2021 population be tested as separate website hypotheses without turning the combined pattern into a claim about local demand?
Cross-check all three named comparisons—North Walsham, Southport, Bridlington—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
Clacton-on-Sea 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
Clacton-on-Sea 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
29.8% 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
Clacton-on-Sea recorded +3.7% 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 E63011409. 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 Clacton-on-Sea.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Clacton-on-Sea.
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.