# Musselburgh

Town in East Lothian, Scotland.

Musselburgh is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. About 18,952 people.

Town. Code S45000579. In: [Towns](https://openindex.co.uk/places/towns) › [East Lothian](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian)

Musselburgh is an ONS built-up area: the land built up as one town, whatever council it is in. Figures for Musselburgh add up the census output areas (or, for claimants, the neighbourhoods) that sit mostly inside it, so they are close to, but not exactly, the town’s own.

## Key figures

- **Population: 19,364** (2021). Musselburgh had 19,364 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). 565th most populated of 1,209. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/town/musselburgh#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 0%** (2022). About 0% of people in Musselburgh live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/town/musselburgh#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 81.6%** (January 2026). In Musselburgh, 81.6% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/town/musselburgh#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 3.1%** (August 2026). In Musselburgh, 3.1% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026 (ONS via Nomis). UK 3.9%. Source: Claimant count (Nomis), August 2026. Published 15 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/town/musselburgh#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by town](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=S45000579) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 0% of people in Musselburgh live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=S45000579) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of East Lothian, where most of this town lies. The outline is Musselburgh.
- [Crimes by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S45000579) (Recorded crimes and offences in Scotland · 2025/26): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of East Lothian, where most of this town lies. The outline is Musselburgh.
- [Population by town](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=S45000579) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Musselburgh had 19,364 usual residents at the census.

## How Musselburgh compares

Each town against every other town the measure covers.

| Measure | Musselburgh | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 19,364 | 42nd most populated | 117 towns, Scotland · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 0% | joint fewest people in radon Affected Areas | 117 towns, Scotland · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 81.6% | 14th lowest | 117 towns, Scotland · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 3.1% | joint 56th lowest | 117 towns, Scotland · Aug 2026 |

## What is the population of Musselburgh?

Musselburgh had 19,364 usual residents at the census.
Musselburgh is the 565th most populated of 1,209 in the UK.

## Neighbourhoods in Musselburgh

| Area | People (census) | Recorded crime per 1,000 | Deprivation decile | Gigabit broadband |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Musselburgh East - 01](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015884) | 857 | – | – | 57.4% |
| [Musselburgh East - 02](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015885) | 420 | – | – | 85.4% |
| [Musselburgh East - 03](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015886) | 912 | – | – | 93.4% |
| [Musselburgh East - 04](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015887) | 885 | – | – | 97.6% |
| [Musselburgh East - 05](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015888) | 1,129 | – | – | 63.6% |
| [Musselburgh East - 06](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015889) | 860 | – | – | 78.5% |
| [Musselburgh North - 01](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015878) | 906 | – | – | 75.4% |
| [Musselburgh North - 02](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015879) | 631 | – | – | 88.3% |
| [Musselburgh North - 03](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015880) | 797 | – | – | 63.4% |
| [Musselburgh North - 04](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015881) | 936 | – | – | 72.3% |
| [Musselburgh North - 05](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015882) | 711 | – | – | 78.2% |
| [Musselburgh North - 06](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015883) | 683 | – | – | 81.6% |
| [Musselburgh South - 01](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015866) | 574 | – | – | 100.0% |
| [Musselburgh South - 02](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015867) | 776 | – | – | 99.5% |
| [Musselburgh South - 03](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015868) | 554 | – | – | 100.0% |
| [Musselburgh South - 04](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015869) | 612 | – | – | 99.6% |
| [Musselburgh South - 05](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015870) | 472 | – | – | 100.0% |
| [Musselburgh South - 06](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015871) | 720 | – | – | 100.0% |
| [Musselburgh South - 07](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015872) | 803 | – | – | 49.8% |
| [Musselburgh West - 01](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015873) | 756 | – | – | 85.3% |
| [Musselburgh West - 02](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015874) | 566 | – | – | 97.2% |
| [Musselburgh West - 03](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015875) | 424 | – | – | 100.0% |
| [Musselburgh West - 04](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015876) | 418 | – | – | 97.1% |
| [Musselburgh West - 05](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015877) | 632 | – | – | 90.3% |
| [Pinkie Braes - 01](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015890) | 691 | – | – | 68.4% |
| [Pinkie Braes - 02](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015891) | 747 | – | – | 51.2% |
| [Pinkie Braes - 03](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015892) | 954 | – | – | 77.4% |
| [Whitecraig - 03](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/neighbourhood/s01015864) | 874 | – | – | 96.8% |

## Your MP

- [Edinburgh East and Musselburgh](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/edinburgh-east-and-musselburgh): Chris Murray (Labour), MP since July 2024.

As of 18 October 2026. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: UK Parliament, Members API.

## Council

[East Lothian](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian)

## Postcode districts covering Musselburgh

[EH21](https://openindex.co.uk/postcode/eh21)

## Middle areas in Musselburgh

[Musselburgh East](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/musselburgh-east), [Musselburgh North](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/musselburgh-north), [Musselburgh South](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/musselburgh-south), [Musselburgh West](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/musselburgh-west), [Pinkie Braes](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian/pinkie-braes)

## Towns near Musselburgh

[Edinburgh](https://openindex.co.uk/edinburgh), [Prestonpans](https://openindex.co.uk/town/prestonpans), [Dalkeith](https://openindex.co.uk/town/dalkeith), [Tranent](https://openindex.co.uk/town/tranent), [Gorebridge and Mayfield](https://openindex.co.uk/town/gorebridge-and-mayfield), [Bonnyrigg](https://openindex.co.uk/town/bonnyrigg)

## Musselburgh in brief

Musselburgh is a town in East Lothian, Scotland.
About 18,952 people lived in Musselburgh in mid-2024 (worked out by Open Index from NRS small-area estimates).
Musselburgh had 19,364 usual residents at the census.
About 0% of people in Musselburgh live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In Musselburgh, 81.6% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In Musselburgh, 3.1% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Town
- Code: S45000579
- Constituency: [Edinburgh East and Musselburgh †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/edinburgh-east-and-musselburgh)
- Council: [East Lothian †](https://openindex.co.uk/east-lothian)
- Nation: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland)
- Area: 4.77 km²
- People, mid-2024: 18,952*
- Neighbourhoods: 28
- Output areas: 169

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the constituency and council this town mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow theirs.

## Next door

[Edinburgh](https://openindex.co.uk/edinburgh), [Prestonpans](https://openindex.co.uk/town/prestonpans), [Dalkeith](https://openindex.co.uk/town/dalkeith), [Tranent](https://openindex.co.uk/town/tranent), [Gorebridge and Mayfield](https://openindex.co.uk/town/gorebridge-and-mayfield), [Bonnyrigg](https://openindex.co.uk/town/bonnyrigg)

## Latest updates for Musselburgh

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.
- GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S45000579

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/town/musselburgh, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/town/musselburgh#f-population.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23508848. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/town/musselburgh