E63014055 /South West evidence profile
South West evidence profile
Paignton digital planning profile
Paignton is a medium, coastal built-up area in South West. ONS records show a 2021 population of 67,772; 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
- E63014055
- ITL1 region
- South West
- Coastal
- Coastal
- Income-deprivation flag
- Higher deprivation
02 / Context
Three comparisons, with the benchmark stated
2.6% below the 11.2% median across complete England records in this ONS file.
8.7% above the 0% dataset median.
16% 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
Upper quartile · percentile position 87.3 of 100.
Upper quartile · percentile position 87.2 of 100.
Upper quartile · percentile position 85.7 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: sha256:732aed23868…0344f3fdcf66
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 Paignton minus the named peer; a plus sign means the value recorded for Paignton is higher.
Regional peer
Weymouth · E63013964
South West. Nearest complete record in South West. ONS classification: Further - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- +12,232 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +3.8 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.1 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +8.7 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£10,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +10.8 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +2 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.9 pp
Classification peer
Lowestoft · E63009943
East of England. Nearest complete record outside South West with the same ONS combined classification. ONS classification: Further - Higher deprivation - Mixed.
- 2021 population
- -3,536 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +2.9 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -1.1 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- +12.9 pp
- 2023 median house price
- +£42,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- -63.6 pp
- Population aged under 25
- -1.2 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- +1.6 pp
National peer
Great Malvern · E63010806
West Midlands. Nearest remaining complete England record. ONS classification: Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working.
- 2021 population
- +34,578 people
- Population change, 2001 to 2021
- +3.6 pp
- Economic inactivity
- -0.2 pp
- Employment change, 2015 to 2024
- -5.6 pp
- 2023 median house price
- -£35,000
- House-price growth, 2001 to 2023
- +2 pp
- Population aged under 25
- +0.1 pp
- Population aged 65 or over
- -0.3 pp
05 / Evidence synthesis
Paignton evidence synthesis: Economic inactivity, 2021 population, Population aged 65 or over
Paignton is recorded as a medium, coastal, mixed built-up area, further from 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 → 2021 population → Population aged 65 or over → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → 2023 median house price → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Population aged under 25.
Furthest-to-nearest distance from the middle percentile: Economic inactivity → 2021 population → Population aged 65 or over → Population aged under 25 → House-price growth, 2001 to 2023 → Employment change, 2015 to 2024 → Population change, 2001 to 2021 → 2023 median house price.
Regional peer
Economic inactivity: 45.5% · Weymouth delta -0.1 pp
Paignton's economic inactivity is 45.5%, a upper quartile result at percentile 87.3 among 936 complete England records. The same-source regional check uses Weymouth, classified as Further - Higher deprivation - Mixed. The Paignton-minus-Weymouth delta on this metric is -0.1 pp. 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. This remains contextual evidence—an aggregate inactivity rate cannot describe an individual visitor.
Classification peer
2021 population: 67,772 · Lowestoft delta -3,536 people
For 2021 population, the source reports 67,772 for Paignton. That sits in the upper quartile, 37.2 percentile points from the middle position. Lowestoft, the named classification peer from East of England, differs by -3,536 people when the calculation is Paignton minus peer. Nearest complete record outside South West with the same ONS combined classification. Its practical use is to frame—not answer—a question about content hierarchy and service-capacity assumptions; the next evidence should come from task-frequency interviews and observed completion data. Keep the inference narrow: population size does not establish addressable demand.
National peer
Population aged 65 or over: 26.5% · Great Malvern delta -0.3 pp
Among the eight reviewed measures, population aged 65 or over stands out for Paignton at 26.5%; its percentile position is 85.7 and its band is upper quartile. Against Great Malvern's reviewed national record, the displayed delta is -0.3 pp. That comparator comes from the documented rule: nearest remaining complete england record. This evidence can narrow a discovery question around readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives, while inclusive usability sessions and accessibility conformance checks supplies the user-level check the aggregate data cannot provide. It must not be over-read, because an age-group share does not determine digital ability.
The distinctive metrics are not interchangeable: economic inactivity, 2021 population, population aged 65 or over each raise a different planning question when read beside Weymouth, Lowestoft, Great Malvern. For Paignton, 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: 67,772 people in 2021
Paignton's recorded population changed from 62,402 in 2001 to 67,772 in 2021 (+8.6%). 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: 26.5% aged 65 or over
The 2021 age-group series records 11,276 people aged 0 to 15, 5,692 aged 16 to 24, 32,861 aged 25 to 64 and 17,964 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: 45.5% economically inactive
ONS records economic inactivity at 45.5%. The published composition includes 30.2% retired, 5.2% long-term sick or disabled, 3.4% students and 4.1% looking after home or family. These categories support inclusive task design; they do not identify individual users or purchasing intent.
Economic context: £265,000 median house price in 2023
The median house-price series moved from £86,000 in 2001 to £242,950 in 2021 and £265,000 in 2023, a published change of +208.1%. 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
What evidence would show that the economic inactivity contrast between Paignton and Weymouth should alter assisted, accessible and non-digital completion routes, rather than remain background context?
This question is traceable to economic inactivity at percentile 87.3 and a -0.1 pp profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 02
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 Paignton?
This question is traceable to 2021 population at percentile 87.2 and a -3,536 people profile-minus-peer difference, not to inferred local behaviour.
- 03
Before prioritising readability, keyboard access and assisted alternatives, which part of inclusive usability sessions and accessibility conformance checks would verify whether this population aged 65 or over observation matters to users in Paignton?
Great Malvern is the constrained national reference and is classified as Nearer - Higher deprivation - Working; the question keeps an age-group share does not determine digital ability as an explicit limit.
- 04
For Paignton's medium, coastal, mixed built-up area, further from a major town or city classification, how should economic inactivity, 2021 population, 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—Weymouth, Lowestoft, Great Malvern—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
Paignton 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
Let the page complete the decision remotely
Paignton is further from a major town or city in the ONS classification. Put scope, process, timelines, accessibility options and meeting arrangements on the page so a user can evaluate fit without assuming a nearby branch or travelling for basic information.
- 03
Treat readability as a conversion requirement
26.5% 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
Paignton recorded +8.6% population change from 2001 to 2021 and +8.7% 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 E63014055. 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 Paignton.
Mosalio does not claim an office, staff member, customer, or physical-delivery presence in Paignton.
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.