Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Acorn geodemographic classification is a long-running classification developed by CACI Limited. Acorn operates by merging geography with demographics and details about consumer characteristics and behaviours. Supported by advanced AI methods, comprehensive input data, and detailed product literature, Acorn provides precise information and enables an in-depth understanding of the different types of consumers in every part of the country.

The current classification groups the entire United Kingdom population into 7 categories, 22 groups and 65 types. The data is available at unit postcode level. Further information may be found on the CACI ACORN microsite.

Use of the data requires approval from the data owner or their nominee and is restricted to those based at a Higher Education or Further Education institution. Please see the Data Access section for further information.

For the second edition (October 2024) data and documentation files for 2024 have been added to the study.

Main Topics:

Variables include: unit postcode; large user flag; deleted flag; ACORN category; ACORN group; ACORN type.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

Understanding Society (the UK Household Longitudinal Study), which began in 2009, is conducted by the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex, and the survey research organisations Verian Group (formerly Kantar Public) and NatCen. It builds on and incorporates, the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), which began in 1991.

This dataset contains Wellbeing Acorn geodemographic segmentation codes (group and type) for each household in every wave of Understanding Society, together with a household identification number (hidp) allowing it to be linked to the main Understanding Society data files. The dataset is produced by matching the Wellbeing Acorn segmentation against every Understanding Society household at the postcode level.

The Wellbeing Acorn segmentation system itself is developed and maintained by CACI Ltd and is designed by analysing demographic data, social factors, health and wellbeing characteristics in order to provide an understanding of the population’s wellbeing across the country. Group is the higher layer containing 5 segments providing a snapshot of the population from the least healthy to the healthiest. The more granular level is Type, containing 25 segments, to provide more detailed insights about the population to better understand their demographic, lifestyle and health characteristics. For details on the Acorn segmentation structure and how is it is produced please refer to the documentation and the Caci website.

These data have more restrictive access conditions than those available under the standard End User Licence (see 'Access data' tab for more information).

Percentage of responses in the range 0-6 for 'Happy Yesterday' by LSOA in the First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Wellbeing survey, April 2011 - March 2012

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has estimated the expected wellbeing of residents at Lower-layer Super Output Area (LSOA) level. The purpose is to illustrate the likely degree of variation between neighbourhoods.

These are modelled estimates for local areas based on national findings from the ONS Annual Population Survey 2011-2012. They are not the actual survey responses of people living in those areas [1]. As such, DCLG encourage local areas to test these expected findings against their own local knowledge and data.

DCLG used CACI’s ACORN geo-demographic segmentation to estimate the likely wellbeing characteristics of each neighbourhood. Analysis of the APS provided a national profile of wellbeing by ACORN Type, with estimates of average subjective wellbeing and low subjective wellbeing for each of the 56 Types. The national profile was then applied to localities, to reflect their composition according to ACORN Type [2].

The method presumes the national profile of wellbeing for the ACORN types is broadly the same in each local authority. For all of the subjective wellbeing measures, DCLG tested this assumption broadly held across the nine regions. As a result, DCLG made a minimal number of adjustments to the profiles for life satisfaction, worthwhile, and happy yesterday, and determined that the method was not robust for modelling anxiety [3].

Feedback on the neighbourhood estimates and requests for further details of the methodology can sent to wellbeing@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

In October, DCLG will be producing wellbeing profiles to enable users to apply the same methodology using geo-demographic classifications: Experian’s MOSAIC and ONS’s Output Area Classification (OAC).

[1] This is because sample sizes from the APS do not permit reliable estimates of subjective wellbeing below the 90 unitary authorities and counties reported in the First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results.

[2] ACORN is a segmentation based on shared characteristics of people’s life-stage, income, profession and housing, as well as characteristics of places including whether they are urban, suburban or rural. Each respondent on the APS had been classified into one ACORN Type, based on the full postcode in which they live – approximately 16 addresses.) ACORN provided estimates of the population in each ACORN Type in each LSOA and local authority district.

[3] These adjustments were made only where there was reliable evidence (based on samples of more than 100 respondents) from APS that the national wellbeing ACORN profile was substantially different from the regional one, and where the implications for neighbourhood maps would be highly geographically clustered.

Percentage of responses in the range 0-6 for 'Life Satisfaction' by LSOA in the First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Wellbeing survey, April 2011 - March 2012

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has estimated the expected wellbeing of residents at Lower-layer Super Output Area (LSOA) level. The purpose is to illustrate the likely degree of variation between neighbourhoods.

These are modelled estimates for local areas based on national findings from the ONS Annual Population Survey 2011-2012. They are not the actual survey responses of people living in those areas [1]. As such, DCLG encourage local areas to test these expected findings against their own local knowledge and data.

DCLG used CACI’s ACORN geo-demographic segmentation to estimate the likely wellbeing characteristics of each neighbourhood. Analysis of the APS provided a national profile of wellbeing by ACORN Type, with estimates of average subjective wellbeing and low subjective wellbeing for each of the 56 Types. The national profile was then applied to localities, to reflect their composition according to ACORN Type [2].

The method presumes the national profile of wellbeing for the ACORN types is broadly the same in each local authority. For all of the subjective wellbeing measures, DCLG tested this assumption broadly held across the nine regions. As a result, DCLG made a minimal number of adjustments to the profiles for life satisfaction, worthwhile, and happy yesterday, and determined that the method was not robust for modelling anxiety [3].

Feedback on the neighbourhood estimates and requests for further details of the methodology can sent to wellbeing@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

In October, DCLG will be producing wellbeing profiles to enable users to apply the same methodology using geo-demographic classifications: Experian’s MOSAIC and ONS’s Output Area Classification (OAC).

[1] This is because sample sizes from the APS do not permit reliable estimates of subjective wellbeing below the 90 unitary authorities and counties reported in the First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results.

[2] ACORN is a segmentation based on shared characteristics of people’s life-stage, income, profession and housing, as well as characteristics of places including whether they are urban, suburban or rural. Each respondent on the APS had been classified into one ACORN Type, based on the full postcode in which they live – approximately 16 addresses.) ACORN provided estimates of the population in each ACORN Type in each LSOA and local authority district.

[3] These adjustments were made only where there was reliable evidence (based on samples of more than 100 respondents) from APS that the national wellbeing ACORN profile was substantially different from the regional one, and where the implications for neighbourhood maps would be highly geographically clustered.

Average (mean) rating for 'Life Satisfaction' by LSOA in the First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Wellbeing survey, April 2011 - March 2012

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has estimated the expected wellbeing of residents at Lower-layer Super Output Area (LSOA) level. The purpose is to illustrate the likely degree of variation between neighbourhoods.

These are modelled estimates for local areas based on national findings from the ONS Annual Population Survey 2011-2012. They are not the actual survey responses of people living in those areas [1]. As such, DCLG encourage local areas to test these expected findings against their own local knowledge and data.

DCLG used CACI’s ACORN geo-demographic segmentation to estimate the likely wellbeing characteristics of each neighbourhood. Analysis of the APS provided a national profile of wellbeing by ACORN Type, with estimates of average subjective wellbeing and low subjective wellbeing for each of the 56 Types. The national profile was then applied to localities, to reflect their composition according to ACORN Type [2].

The method presumes the national profile of wellbeing for the ACORN types is broadly the same in each local authority. For all of the subjective wellbeing measures, DCLG tested this assumption broadly held across the nine regions. As a result, DCLG made a minimal number of adjustments to the profiles for life satisfaction, worthwhile, and happy yesterday, and determined that the method was not robust for modelling anxiety [3].

Feedback on the neighbourhood estimates and requests for further details of the methodology can sent to wellbeing@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

In October, DCLG will be producing wellbeing profiles to enable users to apply the same methodology using geo-demographic classifications: Experian’s MOSAIC and ONS’s Output Area Classification (OAC).

[1] This is because sample sizes from the APS do not permit reliable estimates of subjective wellbeing below the 90 unitary authorities and counties reported in the First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results.

[2] ACORN is a segmentation based on shared characteristics of people’s life-stage, income, profession and housing, as well as characteristics of places including whether they are urban, suburban or rural. Each respondent on the APS had been classified into one ACORN Type, based on the full postcode in which they live – approximately 16 addresses.) ACORN provided estimates of the population in each ACORN Type in each LSOA and local authority district.

[3] These adjustments were made only where there was reliable evidence (based on samples of more than 100 respondents) from APS that the national wellbeing ACORN profile was substantially different from the regional one, and where the implications for neighbourhood maps would be highly geographically clustered.

Average (mean) rating for 'Happy Yesterday' by LSOA in the First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Wellbeing survey, April 2011 - March 2012

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has estimated the expected wellbeing of residents at Lower-layer Super Output Area (LSOA) level. The purpose is to illustrate the likely degree of variation between neighbourhoods.

These are modelled estimates for local areas based on national findings from the ONS Annual Population Survey 2011-2012. They are not the actual survey responses of people living in those areas [1]. As such, DCLG encourage local areas to test these expected findings against their own local knowledge and data.

DCLG used CACI’s ACORN geo-demographic segmentation to estimate the likely wellbeing characteristics of each neighbourhood. Analysis of the APS provided a national profile of wellbeing by ACORN Type, with estimates of average subjective wellbeing and low subjective wellbeing for each of the 56 Types. The national profile was then applied to localities, to reflect their composition according to ACORN Type [2].

The method presumes the national profile of wellbeing for the ACORN types is broadly the same in each local authority. For all of the subjective wellbeing measures, DCLG tested this assumption broadly held across the nine regions. As a result, DCLG made a minimal number of adjustments to the profiles for life satisfaction, worthwhile, and happy yesterday, and determined that the method was not robust for modelling anxiety [3].

Feedback on the neighbourhood estimates and requests for further details of the methodology can sent to wellbeing@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

In October, DCLG will be producing wellbeing profiles to enable users to apply the same methodology using geo-demographic classifications: Experian’s MOSAIC and ONS’s Output Area Classification (OAC).

[1] This is because sample sizes from the APS do not permit reliable estimates of subjective wellbeing below the 90 unitary authorities and counties reported in the First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results.

[2] ACORN is a segmentation based on shared characteristics of people’s life-stage, income, profession and housing, as well as characteristics of places including whether they are urban, suburban or rural. Each respondent on the APS had been classified into one ACORN Type, based on the full postcode in which they live – approximately 16 addresses.) ACORN provided estimates of the population in each ACORN Type in each LSOA and local authority district.

[3] These adjustments were made only where there was reliable evidence (based on samples of more than 100 respondents) from APS that the national wellbeing ACORN profile was substantially different from the regional one, and where the implications for neighbourhood maps would be highly geographically clustered.

Demographics and clinical information of the patients (N = 125).

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The purpose of this study was to provide a database for investigating the impact of demographic and socio-economic milieux on party support and turnout in parliamentary constituencies. The dataset has been designed as a reference file for researchers. It contains basic electoral information (total votes cast, votes for each party, structure of party contest, whether a by-election won/held) in raw numeric form such that the secondary user can construct his or her own indices for each constituency. In addition, a selection of electorally relevant social and demographic variables drawn from the 1966 Sample Census is provided for the pre-1971 constituencies (053, 206 and 661).
Main Topics:

Variables
The parliamentary boundary changes of 1983 radically redrew Britain's electoral map. This study combines data on the relationships between the old and the new seats, estimates of 1979 voting within the new boundaries, the results of the 1983 General Election and socio-economic data from the 1981 census for each of the 633 seats in Great Britain.
Shifts in constituency electorates, 1979-1983; simulated 1979 election results for the 1983 constituencies; General Election results for 1983; socio-economic data on the 1983 constituencies and demographic characteristics.
Sex of 1983 candidate for the main parties; whether a candidate was a former MP.
The data set includes one variable (the ACORN classification) which is used with permission of CACI Ltd.

Energy consumption readings for a sample of 5,567 London Households that took part in the UK Power Networks led Low Carbon London project between November 2011 and February 2014.

Readings were taken at half hourly intervals. Households have been allocated to a CACI Acorn group (2010). The customers in the trial were recruited as a balanced sample representative of the Greater London population.

The dataset contains energy consumption, in kWh (per half hour), unique household identifier, date and time, and CACI Acorn group. The CSV file is around 10GB when unzipped and contains around 167million rows.

Within the data set are two groups of customers. The first is a sub-group, of approximately 1100 customers, who were subjected to Dynamic Time of Use (dToU) energy prices throughout the 2013 calendar year period. The tariff prices were given a day ahead via the Smart Meter IHD (In Home Display) or text message to mobile phone. Customers were issued High (67.20p/kWh), Low (3.99p/kWh) or normal (11.76p/kWh) price signals and the times of day these applied. The dates/times and the price signal schedule is availaible as part of this dataset. All non-Time of Use customers were on a flat rate tariff of 14.228pence/kWh.

The signals given were designed to be representative of the types of signal that may be used in the future to manage both high renewable generation (supply following) operation and also test the potential to use high price signals to reduce stress on local distribution grids during periods of stress.

The remaining sample of approximately 4500 customers energy consumption readings were not subject to the dToU tariff.

More information can be found on the Low Carbon London webpage

Some analysis of this data can be seen here.

Durchschnittliche (mittlere) Bewertung für "Happy Yesterday" von LSOA in der ersten ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Wellbeing Survey, April 2011 - März 2012

Das Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) hat das erwartete Wohlergehen der Bewohner auf der Ebene der Lower-Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) geschätzt. Ziel ist es, den wahrscheinlichen Grad der Unterschiede zwischen den Stadtvierteln zu veranschaulichen.

Dabei handelt es sich um modellierte Schätzungen für lokale Gebiete, die auf nationalen Ergebnissen des ONS Annual Population Survey 2011-2012 basieren. Sie sind nicht die tatsächlichen Umfrageantworten von Menschen, die in diesen Gebieten leben [1]. Daher ermutigt DCLG die lokalen Gebiete, diese erwarteten Ergebnisse mit ihren eigenen lokalen Kenntnissen und Daten zu testen.

Die DCLG verwendete die geodemografische Segmentierung ACORN von CACI, um die wahrscheinlichen Wohlbefindensmerkmale der einzelnen Nachbarschaften abzuschätzen. Die Analyse der APS lieferte ein nationales Profil des Wohlbefindens nach ACORN-Typ, mit Schätzungen des durchschnittlichen subjektiven Wohlbefindens und des niedrigen subjektiven Wohlbefindens für jeden der 56 Typen. Das nationale Profil wurde dann auf Ortschaften angewendet, um deren Zusammensetzung nach dem ACORN-Typ [2] widerzuspiegeln.

Die Methode geht davon aus, dass das nationale Profil des Wohlbefindens für die ACORN-Typen in jeder lokalen Behörde weitgehend gleich ist. Für alle subjektiven Wohlbefindensmaßnahmen prüfte DCLG diese Annahme, die in den neun Regionen weitgehend vertreten ist. Infolgedessen nahm DCLG gestern eine minimale Anzahl von Anpassungen an den Profilen für Lebenszufriedenheit, lohnenswert und glücklich vor und stellte fest, dass die Methode für die Modellierung von Angst nicht robust war [3].

Rückmeldungen zu den Schätzungen der Nachbarschaft und Anfragen nach weiteren Einzelheiten zur Methodik können an wellbeing@communities.gsi.gov.uk gesendet werden.

Im Oktober wird die DCLG Wohlfahrtsprofile erstellen, um es den Nutzern zu ermöglichen, die gleiche Methodik unter Verwendung geodemografischer Klassifikationen anzuwenden: MOSAIC von Experian und Output Area Classification (OAC) von ONS.

[1] Dies liegt daran, dass Stichprobengrößen aus dem APS keine zuverlässigen Schätzungen des subjektiven Wohlbefindens unterhalb der 90 in den First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-being Results gemeldeten einheitlichen Behörden und Landkreise zulassen.

[2] ACORN ist eine Segmentierung, die auf gemeinsamen Merkmalen der Lebensphase, des Einkommens, des Berufs und des Wohnraums der Menschen sowie auf Merkmalen von Orten beruht, einschließlich der Frage, ob es sich um [städtische, vorstädtische oder ländliche] Orte handelt (http://www.caci.co.uk/acorn-classification.aspx). Jeder Befragte der APS war auf der Grundlage der vollständigen Postleitzahl, in der er lebt – etwa 16 Adressen – in einen ACORN-Typ eingeteilt worden.) ACORN legte Schätzungen der Grundgesamtheit in jedem ACORN-Typ in jedem LSOA- und Gemeindebezirk vor.

[3] Diese Anpassungen wurden nur vorgenommen, wenn es zuverlässige Beweise (basierend auf Stichproben von mehr als 100 Befragten) von APS gab, dass sich das nationale Wohlbefinden ACORN-Profil erheblich von dem regionalen unterscheidet und die Auswirkungen auf Nachbarschaftskarten geografisch stark gebündelt wären.