Data drawn mainly from census publications are used to compute trends in population, household, employment and other characteristics for towns of 50,000 and over in England and Wales over the period 1951 to 1971. Component analysis reveals that the predominating factors illustrating the differentiation between towns are socio-economic status and household characteristics, especially overcrowding. Cluster analysis is used to define twelve classes of towns whose characteristics and trends are compared. This classification is shown to relate closely with a socio-economic group index. Both the component interpretations and the classification possess temporal continuity.
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References
1.
Davies, E.M. (1977). A Classification of Urban Populations in England and Wales, 1951-1971. University of Birmingham, Institute of Local Government Studies.
2.
Moser, C.A. and Scott, W. (1961). British Towns, A Statistical Study of their Social and Economic Differences. Edinburgh and London: Oliver and Boyd.
