E63012715 /South East evidence profile
South East evidence profile
Guildford digital planning profile
Guildford is a large, non-coastal built-up area in South East. ONS records show a 2021 population of 77,870; 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
- E63012715
- ITL1 region
- South East
- Coastal
- Non-coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Lower deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
6.4% above the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
11.1% above the 0% dataset median.
26.9% 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 97.6 of 100.
Highest decile · percentile position 93.1 of 100.
Lowest decile · percentile position 7.3 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: sha256:1cf9cf9c9d4…1f8cede36adf
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 Guildford minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Guildford is higher.
Regional peer
Oxford · E63011595
South East. Nearest complete record in South East. ONS classification: Nearer - Lower deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -91,742 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -2.5 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -3.7 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +7.9 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£25,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +1.1 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.5 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +1.7 pp
Classification peer
Bath · E63012364
South West. Nearest complete record outside South East with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Nearer - Lower deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- -16,210 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +5.3 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -5.3 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -3.2 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£55,500
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -17.4 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -0.2 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -2.8 pp
National peer
Winchester · E63013202
South East. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Lower deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +29,905 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- -0.6 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -2.8 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +19.9 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£62,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -19 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +1.3 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -4.1 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Guildford evidence synthesis: Population aged under 25, 2023 median house price, Population aged 65 or over
Guildford 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: Population aged under 25 → 2023 median house price → 2021 population → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Economic inactivity → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population aged 65 or over.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: Population aged under 25 → 2023 median house price → Population aged 65 or over → 2021 population → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Economic inactivity.
Regional peer
Population aged under 25: 36.9% · Oxford delta -0.5 pp
For population aged under 25, the source reports 36.9% for Guildford. That sits in the highest decile, 47.6 percentile points from the middle position. Using Oxford as the regional peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is -0.5 pp; the peer was selected because nearest complete record in south east. 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.
Classification peer
2023 median house price: £475,500 · Bath delta +£55,500
For 2023 median house price, the source reports £475,500 for Guildford. That sits in the highest decile, 43.1 percentile points from the middle position. Using Bath as the classification peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is +£55,500; the peer was selected because nearest complete record outside south east with the same ons combined classification. Treat this combination as a hypothesis about pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting, and test it through 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.
National peer
Population aged 65 or over: 13.8% · Winchester delta -4.1 pp
Guildford's population aged 65 or over is 13.8%, a lowest decile result at percentile 7.3 among 936 complete England records. Using Winchester as the national peer, the profile-minus-peer delta is -4.1 pp; the peer was selected because nearest remaining complete england record. For planning, document the observation beside readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives and require inclusive usability sessions and accessibility conformance checks before treating the idea as an accepted requirement. Keep the inference narrow: an age-group share does not determine digital ability.
The distinctive metrics are not interchangeable: population aged under 25, 2023 median house price, population aged 65 or over each raise a different planning question when read beside Oxford, Bath, Winchester. For Guildford, 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: 77,870 people in 2021
Guildford's recorded population changed from 66,231 in 2001 to 77,870 in 2021 (+17.6%). 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: 13.8% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 12,753 people aged 0 to 15, 15,947 aged 16 to 24, 38,421 aged 25 to 64 and 10,706 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: 39.2% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 39.2%. The published composition includes 15.3% retired, 2.2% long-term sick or disabled, 15.9% students and 3.7% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £475,500 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £160,000 in 2001 to £460,000 in 2021 and £475,500 in 2023, a published change of +197.2%. 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 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 Guildford?
This question is traceable to population aged under 25 at percentile 97.6 and a -0.5 pp profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 02
Where should the team record uncertainty when using Guildford's 2023 median house price value and the Bath comparison to discuss pricing clarity, qualification steps and expectation setting?
Bath is the constrained classification reference and is classified as Nearer - Lower deprivation - Working; the question keeps a median house price is not a household affordability measure as an explicit limit.
- 03
What evidence would show that the population aged 65 or over contrast between Guildford and Winchester should alter readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives, rather than remain background context?
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 Guildford's large, non-coastal, working built-up area, nearer to a major town or city classification, how should population aged under 25, 2023 median house price, population aged 65 or over be tested as separate website hypotheses without turning the combined pattern into a claim about local demand?
Cross-check all three named comparisons—Oxford, Bath, Winchester—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
Guildford 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
Guildford 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
36.9% 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
Guildford recorded +17.6% population change from 2001 to 2021 and +11.1% 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 E63012715. 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 Guildford.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Guildford.
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.