Observatory Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HE

People

Gender

In the UK, the overall gender distribution is approximately 49% male and 51% female. However, the area surrounding BB2 3HE, has a female population slightly higher than UK average, with 54.4% of residents being female. Several factors can contribute to this. Women generally live longer than men, resulting in a higher proportion of women in neighborhoods with significant elderly populations. Typically, as people grow older, they tend to relocate from city center addresses to suburban areas, smaller towns, and rural locations. Consequently, these areas often have a higher number of females. A higher female population can also be found in areas with industries that employ more women, such as healthcare, education, and retail.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Female	54.4%	54.4%	0.0%	51.0%	3.4%
Male	45.6%	45.6%	0.0%	49.0%	-3.4%

Partnership Status

Across the UK, the average relationship status breakdown is roughly 44% married, 38% single, 9% divorced, 6% widowed, and 2% separated.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Single	28.4%	31.8%	3.4%	37.9%	-6.1%
Married: Opposite sex	47.8%	47.5%	-0.3%	44.2%	3.3%
Married: Same sex	1%	0%	-1.0%	0.3%	-0.3%
Separated	2.5%	0.5%	-2.0%	2.2%	-1.7%
Divorced	12.9%	10.6%	-2.3%	9.1%	1.5%
Widowed	7.5%	9.6%	2.1%	6.1%	3.5%

Health

Across the UK, the average 48.4% rated their health as Very Good, 33.6% as Good, 12.7% as Fair, 4% as Bad, and 1.2% as Very Bad.

Population age significantly impacts residents' health. Additionally, socioeconomic status plays a crucial role: higher income levels and lower poverty rates are linked to better health outcomes. Affluent areas benefit from higher living standards, access to private healthcare, and healthier lifestyle choices.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Very good health	36.4%	46.9%	10.5%	48.4%	-1.5%
Good health	36.8%	32.6%	-4.2%	33.6%	-1.0%
Fair health	18%	13.8%	-4.2%	12.7%	1.1%
Bad health	6.7%	6.7%	0.0%	4.0%	2.7%
Very bad health	2.1%	0%	-2.1%	1.2%	-1.2%

Education and Qualifications

During the 2021 census, the educational qualifications of residents across the UK were as follows: 18.2% had no qualifications, 9.6% had 1-4 GCSEs, 13.4% had 5 or more GCSEs and 1-2 A/AS Levels, 16.9% had 2 or more A Levels, 33.8% held a degree (or equivalent), and 5.4% had completed an apprenticeship.

This area stands out for its low percentage of residents with higher education degree. The UK average is 33.8%, while in this area it is 22.1%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No qualifications	31.8%	24.1%	-7.7%	18.2%	5.9%
1-4 GCSEs or Equivalent	14.9%	13.6%	-1.3%	9.6%	4.0%
5 or more GCSEs, an A-Level or 1-2 AS Levels	12.9%	13.6%	0.7%	13.4%	0.2%
Apprenticeship	7.5%	7.5%	0.0%	5.3%	2.2%
HNC, HND or 2+ A Levels	8.5%	17.1%	8.6%	16.9%	0.2%
Degree or Similar	18.9%	22.1%	3.2%	33.8%	-11.7%
Other	5.5%	2%	-3.5%	2.8%	-0.8%

Culture

Ethnic Group

This area closely mirrors the overall ethnic composition of the UK, with 88.7% of the population identifying as white, with UK average of 81.4%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Chinese	1.3%	0%	-1.3%	0.7%	-0.7%
Indian	0.4%	7%	6.6%	3.1%	3.9%
Pakistani	0%	2.2%	2.2%	2.7%	-0.5%
Other Asian	0%	0.9%	0.9%	1.6%	-0.7%
Mixed White and Asian	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	0.8%	-0.8%
Mixed White and Caribbean	0.8%	0%	-0.8%	0.9%	-0.9%
Mixed Other	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.8%	-0.4%
White	94.6%	88.7%	-5.9%	81.4%	7.3%
Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0.4%	0%	-0.4%	0.1%	-0.1%
Arab	0.4%	0.9%	0.5%	0.6%	0.3%
Other	1.7%	0%	-1.7%	1.6%	-1.6%

Country of Birth

In this area, 91.3% of the population were born in the United Kingdom, which is higher than the UK average of 83.2%.

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	94.1%	91.3%	-2.8%	83.2%	8.1%
European Union	0.8%	3.1%	2.3%	6.1%	-3.0%
Rest of Europe	1.7%	0.4%	-1.3%	0.8%	-0.4%
Africa	1.3%	0%	-1.3%	2.7%	-2.7%
Middle East and Asia	2.1%	4.8%	2.7%	5.6%	-0.8%
Oceania	0%	0.4%	0.4%	0.3%	0.1%

Length of Residence

	2011	2021	10y change (pp)	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
Born in the UK	92.9%	90.9%	-2.0%	83.2%	7.7%
10+ Years	0%	6.5%	6.5%	9.8%	-3.3%
5-10 Years	1.7%	0.9%	-0.8%	2.9%	-2.0%
2-5 Years	0.8%	0%	-0.8%	2.2%	-2.2%
Less than 2 years	4.6%	1.7%	-2.9%	1.9%	-0.2%

Passport Held

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
United Kingdom	82.5%	76.7%	5.8%
Ireland	0.9%	0.6%	0.3%
Other EU countries	0.4%	1.5%	-1.1%
Southern Asia	1.3%	1.2%	0.1%
No passport held	14.8%	13.5%	1.3%

Religion

	2021	UK Average	postcode vs UK (pp)
No religion	28.4%	37.2%	-8.8%
Christian	57.6%	46.2%	11.4%
Hindu	0.4%	1.7%	-1.3%
Muslim	7%	6.5%	0.5%
Other religion	0.4%	0.6%	-0.2%
Not answered	6.1%	6.0%	0.1%

Safety

Is Observatory Road dangerous?

Over the last 12 months, the overall crime rate around Observatory Road was 104.3 per 1,000 residents, which is 22.7% lower than the Audley & Queen's Park average. The most reported crime type was Anti-social behaviour.

Observatory Road has the 38th highest crime rate of 77 local areas in Audley & Queen's Park and the 181st highest crime rate of 440 local areas in Blackburn with Darwen .

Violent and sexual offences accounted for around 38.6 crimes per 1,000 residents and have been rising year on year. Over the last decade, overall crime has fallen by about -16.3%.

🔎 See full breakdown of local crime, hotspots & trends

Affluence

Household Income

Households in this area have a lower level of wealth compared to the average household in England and Wales. 78% of analyzed areas in England and Wales have higher average household annual income than this area.

Average Household Income
£37,300

Income Rank
3/10

Household Income in BB2 3HE, Local Authority and Region

Deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - 7/10 (above average )
Indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) is used to classify the relative deprivation (a measure of poverty) of the area. It considers the following domains:
Income Deprivation Domain - 7/10 (above average )
The Income Deprivation Domain measures the percentage of people in the population who are experiencing poverty due to having a low income. It includes both those who are unemployed and those who are employed but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Employment Deprivation Domain - 8/10 (high )
The Employment Deprivation Domain measures the proportion of the working-age population in an area involuntarily excluded from the labour market. This includes people who would like to work but are unable to do so due to unemployment, sickness or disability, or caring responsibilities.
Education, Skills and Training Domain - 6/10 (average )
The Education, Skills, and Training Deprivation Domain measures the lack of education and skills in a local area. It has two parts: one for children and young people, and one for adults. The part for children and young people looks at their school achievements ('flow'), while the part for adults looks at the number of adults without qualifications ('stock').
Health Deprivation and Disability Domain - 8/10 (high )
The Health Deprivation and Disability Domain measures the risk of early death and poor quality of life due to bad physical or mental health. It looks at illness, disability, and early death, but not at behaviors or environments that might affect future health.
Crime Domain - 8/10 (high )
The Crime Domain measures the risk of people and property being victims of crime in a local area.
Barriers to Housing and Services Domain - 2/10 (very low )
The Barriers to Housing and Services Domain measures how easy or hard it is to access housing and local services. It has two parts: one looks at how close local services are, and the other looks at issues like how affordable housing is.
Living Environment Deprivation Domain - 4/10 (below average )
The Living Environment Deprivation Domain measures the quality of the local environment. It has two parts: the "indoors" part looks at housing quality, and the "outdoors" part looks at air quality and road traffic accidents.
Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) - 6/10 (average )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) measures how many children aged 0 to 15 live in low-income families. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low incomes. This includes both those who are unemployed and those who work but earn very little (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) - 6/10 (average )
The Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) measures the percentage of people aged 60 or older who have low income. It is part of the Income Deprivation Domain, which looks at how many people in an area have low income, including both unemployed people and those with low-paying jobs (and who satisfy the respective means tests).

Property Prices

Average property prices on Observatory Road are based on 2 property sales since the beginning of 1995. Estimated property prices are calculated by adjusting the last sale price by current House Price Index for Blackburn.
StreetScan downloads house price data directly from the HM Land Registry and uses it to create these statistics.

House Prices for Observatory Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HE

Estimated Average Property Prices for BB2 3HE

Average Price
£158,957

Semi-Detached
£165,303

Terraced
£173,750

Detached
£141,881

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
£489

Estimated Average Property Prices for Observatory Road

Average Price
£143,477

Semi-Detached
£143,477

Terraced
no sales

Detached
no sales

Flats/Maisonettes
no sales

Other
no sales

Property Prices Comparison

Latest Property Sales on Observatory Road

Address	Sale Price	Sale Date	Price Estimate 2025
40 Observatory Road, Blackburn, Blackburn With Darwen Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£175,999	2025-03-31	£184,456
10 Observatory Road, Blackburn, Blackburn With Darwen Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£185,000	2024-07-22	£208,238
15 Observatory Road, Blackburn, Blackburn With Darwen Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£162,000	2024-04-26	£192,074
6 Observatory Road, Blackburn, Blackburn With Darwen Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£170,000	2024-01-30	£200,326
24 Observatory Road, Blackburn, Blackburn With Darwen Semi-Detached, an established residential building	£111,000	2023-05-19	£128,316

View All Property Sales and Other Statistics for BB2 3HE

Employment

The percentage of retired residents living in BB2 3HE area is much higher than the country's average. According to Census 2011, 32% residents of this area were retired, while the average in the UK was 14%.

Economic Activity

Full-Time Employee	67
Retired	64
Part-Time Employee	15
Self-Employed	13
Long-Term Sick or disabled	12
Unemployed	9
Looking after home or family	9
Student (economically inactive)	5
Other	4
Full-Time Student (with or without job)	1

Employment Industry

Human health and social work activities	23
Manufacturing	22
Education	12
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles	12
Construction	10
Accommodation and food service activities	7
Administrative and support service activities	6
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	5
Transport and storage	3
Other	2
Professional, scientific and technical activities	1
Real estate activities	1
Financial and insurance activities	1
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	1

Schools

Nursery

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Longshaw Nursery School Crosby Road , BB2 3NF	3out of 4	1,159 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Brunel Nursery School Cambridge Street , BB1 1ES	3out of 4	1,289 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Ashworth Nursery School Addison Close , BB2 1QU	4out of 4	2,267 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Turncroft Nursery School Highfield Road , BB3 2DN	4out of 4	5,156 yd	Local authority nursery school	Yes	Mixed	More About School

Primary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
St Mary's and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn Bennington Street , BB2 3HP	3out of 4	591 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School
Audley Junior School Queen's Park Road , BB1 1SE	3out of 4	802 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Audley Infant School Queens Park Road , BB1 1SE	3out of 4	802 yd	Community school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Longshaw Community Junior School Park Lee Road , BB2 3NX	3out of 4	878 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School
Longshaw Infant School Crosby Road , BB2 3NF	3out of 4	1,166 yd	Community school	No	Mixed	More About School

Secondary

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Blackburn Central High School Haslingden Road , BB2 3HJ	- not rated	429 yd	Academy converter	No	Mixed	More About School
Our Lady and St John Catholic College North Road , BB1 1PY	2out of 4	1,425 yd	Voluntary aided school	No	Mixed	More About School
Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School Sumner Street , BB2 2LD	4out of 4	1,562 yd	Free schools	No	Boys	More About School
St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy Duckworth Street , BB2 2JR	3out of 4	1,937 yd	Academy converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Darwen Vale High School Blackburn Road , BB3 0AL	2out of 4	2,429 yd	Academy sponsor led	No	Mixed	More About School

16 plus

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Blackburn College Blackburn College , Harrison Centre BB2 1LH	- not rated	2,067 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
St Mary's College Shear Brow , BB1 8DX	- not rated	3,226 yd	Further education	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School

All-through

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School West Park Road , BB2 6DF	2out of 4	2,861 yd	Free schools	No	Mixed	More About School

Not applicable

	Ofsted Overall Effectiveness	Distance	Establishment Type	Has Nursery Classes	Gender	More Info
Crosshill Special School Haslingden Rd , BB2 3HJ	- not rated	368 yd	Academy special converter	Not Applicable	Mixed	More About School
Noorul Uloom Park Lee Rd , Blackburn BB2 3NY	- not rated	567 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School
Markazul Uloom Park Lee Road , BB2 3NY	- not rated	567 yd	Other independent school	No	Boys	More About School
Newfield School Old Bank Lane , Off Shadsworth Road BB1 2PW	4out of 4	1,109 yd	Community special school	Yes	Mixed	More About School
Al Islah Girls' High School 108 Audley Range , BB1 1TF	- not rated	1,111 yd	Other independent school	No	Girls	More About School

School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.

Food and Drink

Restaurants, Cafes, Canteens

Business Name	Address	Distance
Kentucky Fried Chicken	Kentucky Fried Chicken, Haslingden Road	212 yd
WH Smiths Costa Coffee	Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road	274 yd
Waterside Canteen	Waterside Office	1,050 yd
Naafiah Takeaway	56 Audley Range	1,090 yd

Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
The Observatory	Old Bank Lane		85 yd
Clifton Arms	48 Grimshaw Park		941 yd

Takeaway, Sandwich Shops

Business Name	Address	Distance
Mega Munch	42 Old Bank Lane	85 yd
Fishmoor Chippery	49 Fishmoor Drive	814 yd
Lucky Star Chinese Takeaway	26 Mosley Street	914 yd
Sahad Kebab House	18 Audley Range	1,060 yd
The Dutch Fisherman	29 Queens Park Road	1,062 yd

Supermarkets, Hypermarkets

Business Name	Address	Food hygiene rating	Distance
Kashmir Supermarket	Unit 3, Europa House, Bennington Street		656 yd
Asda Stores Ltd	Asda Superstore, Grimshaw Park		813 yd

Sport

Facility Name	Sport Objects	Distance
Everton Playing Fields MANXMAN ROAD	grass pitches	384 yd
Blackburn Golf Centre And Driving Range (Closed) Haslingden Road	golf	386 yd
Blackburn Central High School With Crosshill HASLINGDEN ROAD	artificial grass pitch, grass pitches, health and fitness suite	429 yd
St Mary'S And St Joseph'S Roman Catholic Primary School BENNINGTON STREET	grass pitches	692 yd
Audley Community Junior School AUDLEY JUNIOR AND INFANT SCHOOL AUDLEY JUNIOR AND INFANT SCHOOL QUEENS PARK ROAD	artificial grass pitch	817 yd
My Gym @ Highercroft NEWFIELD DRIVE	health and fitness suite	905 yd
Roman Road Cp (Closed) Fishmoor Drive	grass pitches	932 yd
Longshaw Community Junior School PARK LEE ROAD	grass pitches	973 yd
Newfield School OLD BANK LANE		1,016 yd
Roman Road Recreation Ground Fishmoor Drive	grass pitches	1,045 yd

Broadband

Technology Aviability

Percentage of premises that have Superfast Broadband (30Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (100Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have Ultrafast Broadband (300Mbit/s or greater) coverage from fixed broadband	100.0%
Percentage of premises that have coverage from a Gigabit capable service from fixed broadband	100.0%

Speed Aviability

Percentage of premises unable to receive 2Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 5Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 10Mbit/s	0.0%
Percentage of premises unable to receive 30Mbit/s	0.0%

Download Speed

Median download speed	49.5 Mbit/s
Average download speed	131.2 Mbit/s
Minimum download speed	500 Mbit/s
Maximum download speed	500 Mbit/s

Upload Speed

Median upload speed	9.8 Mbit/s
Average upload speed	13.8 Mbit/s
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbit/s

Broadband statistics are based on Ofcom's Communications Market Report (CMR) 2022.