In 2001 the town had a population of 253,499, and is the administrative headquarters of the Walsall Metropolitan Borough.
Walsall is famous for making leather goods, and the local football team Walsall F.C. are known as The Saddlers. Walsall Leather Museum is one of its key attractions, as is the New Art Gallery Walsall, commissioned for the millennium, and of national significance.
Apart from leather goods, other industries in Walsall include: Iron and brass founding, limestone quarrying, small hardware, plastics, electronics, chemicals, and aircraft parts. Coal mining was a major industry in Walsall until the 1930s.
Pork scratchings are the most famous local snack, although they are not universally popular throughout the rest of the UK. Traditionally, these are made by deep frying pork rind (pork fat), and then adding salt. Walsall's heart-attack rate is one of the highest in the UK.
