# Blackburn Central The middle of the West Lothian. 3,876 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 1.2 square kilometres. Blackburn Central had 3,766 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). Middle area. Code S02003829. In: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland) › [West Lothian](https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian) ## Key figures - **Population: 3,766** (2021). Blackburn Central had 3,766 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). 1,426th least populated of 9,448. 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/west-lothian/blackburn-central#f-population - **People in radon Affected Area squares: 7%** (2022). About 7% of people in Blackburn Central 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/west-lothian/blackburn-central#f-radon-affected-share - **Gigabit broadband coverage: 93.2%** (January 2026). In Blackburn Central, 93.2% 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/west-lothian/blackburn-central#f-gigabit-coverage - **Claimant rate: 4.2%** (August 2026). In Blackburn Central, 4.2% 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/west-lothian/blackburn-central#f-claimant-rate ## On the map - [Radon Affected Area by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=S02003829) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 7% of people in Blackburn Central 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=S02003829) (UK House Price Index · July 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of West Lothian. The outline is Blackburn Central. - [Crimes by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S02003829) (Recorded crimes and offences in Scotland · 2025/26): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of West Lothian. The outline is Blackburn Central. - [Population by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=S02003829) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Blackburn Central had 3,766 usual residents at the census. ## Recorded crime in Blackburn Central Scotland publishes recorded crime by council. It has its own layers. ## How Blackburn Central compares Each middle area against every other middle area the measure covers. | Measure | Blackburn Central | Rank | Compared with | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Population | 3,766 | 10th least populated | 39 middle areas, West Lothian · 2021 | | People in radon Affected Area squares | 7% | 12th most people in radon Affected Areas | 39 middle areas, West Lothian · 2022 | | Gigabit broadband coverage | 93.2% | 18th lowest | 39 middle areas, West Lothian · Jan 2026 | | Claimant rate | 4.2% | 6th highest | 39 middle areas, West Lothian · Aug 2026 | ## What is the population of Blackburn Central? Blackburn Central had 3,766 usual residents at the census. Blackburn Central is the 1,426th least populated of 9,448 in the UK. ## Figures for the whole of West Lothian These figures are published for the whole of West Lothian, not for each middle area, so they describe all of West Lothian and not Blackburn Central alone. [See West Lothian](https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian) - **Average house price: £227,354** (July 2026). West Lothian’s average house price was £227,354 in July 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 2.3% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, July 2026. Published 16 September 2026. - **Median full-time pay: £40,134** (2025). Full-time workers living in West Lothian earned a median of £40,134 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 134th highest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025. - **House price to pay: 5.7×** (2025). A home in West Lothian costs 5.7 times local full-time pay. Joint 72nd most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 16 September 2026. - **Population estimate: 187,240** (2025). West Lothian’s population was an estimated 187,240 in mid-2025 (ONS population estimates). Up 0.6% in a year. Source: Mid-year population estimates, 2025. Published 1 October 2026. ## Blackburn Central in brief Blackburn Central had 3,766 usual residents at the census. About 7% of people in Blackburn Central live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. In Blackburn Central, 93.2% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026. In Blackburn Central, 4.2% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026. ## About - Type: Middle area - Code: S02003829 - Ward: [Whitburn and Blackburn †](https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian/ward/whitburn-and-blackburn) - Constituency: [Bathgate and Linlithgow †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/bathgate-and-linlithgow) - Council: [West Lothian](https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian) - Nation: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland) - Area: 1.21 km² - People, mid-2024: 3,876* - Neighbourhoods: 6 - Output areas: 36 * People: worked out by Open Index by adding up the neighbourhood estimates inside this area. † Best fit: the ward and constituency this middle area mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow theirs. ## Next door [Blackburn East and Seafield](https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian/blackburn-east-and-seafield), [Bathgate Wester Inch East](https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian/bathgate-wester-inch-east) ## Latest updates for Blackburn Central - Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026. - GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026. - Schools updated: Department for Education · Oct 2026. - Schools updated: Department for Education · Oct 2026. The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S02003829 ## How to cite Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian/blackburn-central, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian/blackburn-central#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 2026.10.8, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23508850. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/west-lothian/blackburn-central