E63012444 /South West evidence profile
South West evidence profile
Weston-super-Mare digital planning profile
Weston-super-Mare is a large, coastal built-up area in South West. ONS records show a 2021 population of 84,600; the population grew steadily between 2001 and 2021, while the 2015 to 2024 employment series shows modest employment growth. 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
- E63012444
- ITL1 region
- South West
- Coastal
- Coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
1.7% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
6.3% above the 0% dataset median.
21.6% 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 90.7 of 100.
Middle half · percentile position 30.6 of 100.
Middle half · percentile position 42.7 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: sha256:7daeb8218f6…8fcd03b3d11c
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 Weston-super-Mare minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Weston-super-Mare is higher.
Regional peer
Taunton · E63013310
South West. Nearest complete record in South West. ONS classification: Further - Medium deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +22,933 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -0.2 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +1.1 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +3.7 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£9,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.5 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.2 pp
Classification peer
Halesowen · E63010055
West Midlands. Nearest complete record outside South West with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- +24,497 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +5.5 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -1.1 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +0.7 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£18,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -9.9 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.5 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.3 pp
National peer
Shrewsbury · E63009578
West Midlands. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Medium deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +8,816 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -0.4 pp
- Economic inactivity
- +0.6 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -8.3 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£7,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -18.5 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.4 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +0.2 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Weston-super-Mare evidence synthesis: 2021 population, House-price growth, 2001 to 2023, Population aged under 25
Weston-super-Mare is recorded as a large, 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: 2021 population → Population aged 65 or over → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Economic inactivity → 2023 median house price → Population aged under 25 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: 2021 population → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population aged under 25 → 2023 median house price → Population aged 65 or over → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Economic inactivity.
Regional peer
2021 population: 84,600 · Taunton delta +22,933 people
Weston-super-Mare's 2021 population is 84,600, a highest decile result at percentile 90.7 among 936 complete England records. For a bounded comparison rather than a national average, Taunton supplies the regional reference; Weston-super-Mare is +22,933 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. This remains contextual evidence—population size does not establish addressable demand.
Classification peer
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023: 202.5% · Halesowen delta -9.9 pp
House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 is one of Weston-super-Mare's three furthest-from-middle observations: 202.5%, percentile 30.6, middle half. The same-source classification check uses Halesowen, classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Mixed. The Weston-super-Mare-minus-Halesowen delta on this metric is -9.9 pp. 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. This remains contextual evidence—historic price growth cannot support a current revenue claim.
National peer
Population aged under 25: 27% · Shrewsbury delta +0.4 pp
For population aged under 25, the source reports 27% for Weston-super-Mare. That sits in the middle half, 7.3 percentile points from the middle position. Shrewsbury, the named national peer from West Midlands, differs by +0.4 pp when the calculation is Weston-super-Mare minus peer. Nearest remaining complete England record. Treat this combination as a hypothesis about mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity, and test it through cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions. This remains contextual evidence—an age-group share does not determine channel preference.
The distinctive metrics are not interchangeable: 2021 population, house-price growth, 2001 to 2023, population aged under 25 each raise a different planning question when read beside Taunton, Halesowen, Shrewsbury. For Weston-super-Mare, 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: 84,600 people in 2021
Weston-super-Mare's recorded population changed from 74,920 in 2001 to 84,600 in 2021 (+12.9%). 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: 21.2% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 14,902 people aged 0 to 15, 7,935 aged 16 to 24, 43,819 aged 25 to 64 and 17,981 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: 39.5% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 39.5%. The published composition includes 24.5% retired, 5.4% long-term sick or disabled, 3.5% students and 3.6% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £245,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £81,000 in 2001 to £230,000 in 2021 and £245,000 in 2023, a published change of +202.5%. 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 Weston-super-Mare?
This question is traceable to 2021 population at percentile 90.7 and a +22,933 people profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 02
Where should the team record uncertainty when using Weston-super-Mare's house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 value and the Halesowen comparison to discuss how dated economic context is labelled and maintained?
This question is traceable to house-price growth, 2001 to 2023 at percentile 30.6 and a -9.9 pp profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 03
Before prioritising mobile task speed, privacy explanation and channel continuity, which part of cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions would verify whether this population aged under 25 observation matters to users in Weston-super-Mare?
Evidence basis: 27%, middle half, with Weston-super-Mare minus the national peer equal to +0.4 pp. Validation route: cross-device usability sessions without age-based assumptions.
- 04
For Weston-super-Mare's large, coastal, mixed built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should 2021 population, 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—Taunton, Halesowen, Shrewsbury—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
Weston-super-Mare 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
Weston-super-Mare 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
Build a broad, task-led accessibility baseline
51.8% of the recorded 2021 age-group total is aged 25 to 64, with meaningful younger and older groups also present. Organise content by task, test keyboard and mobile use, and avoid designing around one assumed demographic persona.
- 04
Prepare the content model for change
Weston-super-Mare recorded +12.9% population change from 2001 to 2021 and +6.3% 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 E63012444. 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 Weston-super-Mare.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Weston-super-Mare.
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.