Skip to content
West Northamptonshire Counts — West Northamptonshire, in numbers.Local help →

West Northamptonshire, in numbers

People and living standards

West Northamptonshire council area. Every figure carries its own date.

How the population is changing, who lives here and what living standards look like.

West Northamptonshire council area. These are council-area figures. They are not a separate history for every ward or the city centre.

More people? A different age mix?

The population grew from 317,542 in 1991 to 444,218 in 2025.

A growing number of children, working-age adults or older residents can mean different needs for homes, schools, jobs and care.

Population

1996 to 2025

West Northamptonshire council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 331,981 people in 1996; 444,218 people in 2025. 33.8% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Population — West Northamptonshire council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991317,542
1992320,013
1993321,934
1994323,749
1995327,551
1996331,981
1997336,689
1998340,110
1999342,215
2000343,409
2001345,893
2002349,123
2003351,689
2004353,110
2005357,438
2006362,435
2007365,907
2008368,454
2009371,268
2010373,456
2011376,008
2012380,827
2013385,699
2014391,024
2015397,939
2016405,019
2017411,732
2018417,242
2019422,168
2020422,559
2021426,707
2022430,756
2023438,462
2024441,277
2025444,218
Source →
People aged 0 to 15

People aged 0 to 15

1996 to 2025

West Northamptonshire council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 72,056 people in 1996; 83,810 people in 2025. 16.3% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 0 to 15 — West Northamptonshire council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199169,287
199270,046
199370,851
199471,288
199571,790
199672,056
199772,582
199872,994
199973,127
200072,931
200172,817
200272,879
200373,084
200472,592
200572,436
200672,698
200772,827
200873,202
200973,793
201074,036
201174,589
201275,529
201376,347
201476,997
201578,118
201679,352
201780,801
201881,713
201982,261
202082,153
202182,212
202283,049
202383,910
202484,124
202583,810
Source →
People aged 16 to 64

People aged 16 to 64

1996 to 2025

West Northamptonshire council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 214,070 people in 1996; 281,600 people in 2025. 31.5% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 16 to 64 — West Northamptonshire council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1991203,935
1992205,411
1993206,244
1994207,333
1995210,223
1996214,070
1997217,941
1998220,652
1999222,580
2000223,821
2001225,841
2002228,473
2003230,345
2004231,827
2005235,833
2006240,052
2007242,533
2008243,502
2009244,117
2010244,409
2011244,963
2012245,871
2013247,532
2014250,056
2015254,007
2016258,203
2017262,066
2018265,437
2019268,521
2020268,491
2021271,189
2022273,239
2023278,738
2024279,825
2025281,600
Source →
People aged 65 or over

People aged 65 or over

1996 to 2025

West Northamptonshire council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1991 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 45,855 people in 1996; 78,808 people in 2025. 71.9% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published annual mid-year population estimates, both sexes. Exact requested ONS area code; source geography vintage retained. Latest revised source series is used throughout; no years are interpolated and no ward values are inferred.

Mid-year estimates, not census counts. Historical revisions and boundaries follow this one published series.

This is the whole stated area, not a ward or necessarily the named city settlement.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

People aged 65 or over — West Northamptonshire council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
199144,320
199244,556
199344,839
199445,128
199545,538
199645,855
199746,166
199846,464
199946,508
200046,657
200147,235
200247,771
200348,260
200448,691
200549,169
200649,685
200750,547
200851,750
200953,358
201055,011
201156,456
201259,427
201361,820
201463,971
201565,814
201667,464
201768,865
201870,092
201971,386
202071,915
202173,306
202274,468
202375,814
202477,328
202578,808
Source →

Population growth alone does not show whether services are under pressure. Capacity, location and residents’ needs also matter.

How residents described their ethnic group

These are census snapshots, not annual estimates. Open a year to see both the number of people and their share of the population.

2021 census · 425,723 residents
How this census compares with other years

Census snapshots use the categories and boundaries published for each year. They are not annual estimates. In England and Wales, Chinese moved from Chinese/Other in 2001 to Asian in 2011; mixed categories and later write-in categories also changed. No change is calculated across these categories.

Ethnic group · West Northamptonshire · 2021
Residents’ census answerPeopleShare
Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh22,4635.3%
Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African20,6614.9%
Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups12,1162.8%
White365,75885.9%
Other ethnic group4,7251.1%

Census wording and the available categories can change. The tables retain the categories published for each year; they are not automatically like-for-like trends.

Source and method →

A complete, comparable 30-year ethnicity history is not available for every current area. Missing years have not been estimated.

How comfortable is life here?

Pay, housing costs, health and opportunities tell different parts of the story. An area average can hide large differences between households.

In 2024, average disposable income per person was 1.3% below the UK average.

Money available to spend or save per person

1997 to 2024

West Northamptonshire council area · Cash prices, before allowing for inflation

Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.

Shown on this chart: £10,856 per person in 1997; £25,629 per person in 2024. 136.1% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils.

Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.

This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.

These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.

The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.

The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.

Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Money available to spend or save per person — West Northamptonshire council area: full reviewed history
Period£ per person, current prices
199710,856
199810,893
199911,322
200012,021
200112,405
200212,676
200312,897
200413,454
200513,965
200614,625
200715,733
200815,801
200915,750
201015,756
201116,703
201217,275
201317,636
201418,157
201519,149
201619,228
201719,827
201820,529
201921,048
202020,859
202121,726
202222,774
202324,049
202425,629
Source →
Has the gap with the UK average changed?

Above zero means income is above the UK average; below zero means it is below. Each year is compared with the UK average for that same year.

Income above or below the UK average

1997 to 2024

West Northamptonshire council area · %

Reviewed figures: 1997 to 2024. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.

Shown on this chart: 2.3% in 1997; -1.3% in 2024. 3.6 percentage points lower.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Data table and workings

Published ONS table values from one 1997–2024 release, matched by exact source geography code. Table3 per-person values are retained, not recalculated from rounded totals. Source country/region references are the official published totals, not averages of selected councils. Displayed as the published UK=100 value minus 100, giving the percentage above or below the UK average.

Amounts are in cash prices for each year and include inflation. A rise does not by itself show an increase in purchasing power.

This is an average per resident, including children and retired people, not the income of a typical household, wages or wealth.

These are official statistics in development, combining administrative and survey inputs. The Annual Population Survey contributes to some components; it is not the sole source.

The 2024 estimates are provisional. Earlier years have been revised within this single release; no release editions are spliced.

The UK index compares each year with the UK average in that same year. It is not an inflation-adjusted income index.

Geography as published in the ONS 19 August 2026 release; exact source code retained. The workbook does not specify a separate local-boundary effective date.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Income above or below the UK average — West Northamptonshire council area: full reviewed history
Period%
19972.3
19980.6
19990.1
20001
20010.3
20020.2
2003-1.1
2004-0.9
2005-0.7
2006-0.1
20072.5
20080.3
2009-1.6
2010-2.4
20112.5
20122.3
20130.7
20140.4
20150.7
2016-0.2
20170.6
20180.6
2019-0.1
2020-0.6
2021-0.5
2022-0.8
2023-1.6
2024-1.3
Source →

Mixed-source official estimates: administrative records and surveys. Income here is the average money per resident available to spend or save after tax and benefits. It is not typical pay or household wealth. Cash figures do not show how much prices changed.

Adults in work

62.9%

21 March 2021 · West Northamptonshire council area

Show the workings

All usual residents aged 16 and over

21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly.

Source →

Households facing several disadvantages

15%

21 March 2021 · West Northamptonshire council area

Show the workings

All households

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Adults with no qualifications

17.4%

21 March 2021 · West Northamptonshire council area

Show the workings

Residents aged 16 and over

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

People reporting bad or very bad health

4.1%

21 March 2021 · West Northamptonshire council area

Show the workings

All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Source →

Average home price

£292,000

July 2026 · West Northamptonshire council area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Source →

Average monthly private rent

£1,084

August 2026 · West Northamptonshire council area

Show the workings

Homes in the local authority area

Official local housing data feed. House prices are provisional, not seasonally adjusted; rents use the Price Index of Private Rents. Local short-term estimates are variable. Country references use only the explicitly country-coded ctry object, never the local place object.

Source →

Deprivation describes several kinds of disadvantage. It is not a measure of household wealth. A change in an area's ranking does not by itself show whether living conditions improved.

See differences between neighbourhoods →

What could the changes mean locally?

Use the age profile alongside school places and care capacity, and look at housing costs alongside pay. Then check whether local plans respond to the needs shown by the evidence.

Read the local action plan →
Which histories are missing or need care?

No counts returned for this exact present-day area code in the 2001 census table. Older boundaries have not been reassigned by name or population share.

No counts returned for this exact present-day area code in the 2011 census table. Older boundaries have not been reassigned by name or population share.

These histories describe the stated whole area. A consistent historical series for its current wards has not been established.

1991 ethnicity has not been reconstructed to this current area. No annual ethnicity values are inferred between census dates.

These local income figures include inflation. No local inflation-adjusted income series has been substituted or inferred from regional prices.

This series describes the stated council or reference area. A comparable 30-year income history for its current wards has not been established.

The reviewed release starts in 1997. Earlier income values have not been invented or joined from another definition.