Blandford Forum - Demography

Demography

Five district electoral wards (Blandford Damory Down, Blandford Hilltop, Blandford Langton St.Leonards, Blandford Old Town and Blandford Station) comprise the town and parish of Blandford Forum, with a built-up area totalling 310 hectares (770 acres). Census returns for the town show that it had a population of less than 4,000 until 1981, after which rapid expansion took place. In the 2001 Census, the town had 4,524 dwellings and a population of 8,760, of whom 96.5% were White British. The 2009 mid-year population estimate is 9,200. Unemployment varied between 0.5% and 2.3% between 1997 and 2009. Census figures for the town are shown in the table below:

Census	1931	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
Population	3,370	3,670	3,570	3,650	3,920	7,850	8,760