Wakefield: house prices, jobs and local statistics

Detached

£315,698

Semi-detached

£200,671

Terraced

£159,523

Flat or maisonette

£100,223

First-time buyers

£178,104

The claimant count is people claiming unemployment-related benefits as a share of residents aged 16 to 64; the unemployment rate is the survey measure of people out of work and looking. Pay is for full-time employees who live in the area.

• Residents

  314,328 in 1991 → 367,666 in 2024 (+17.0%)

  England over the same years: +22.4%

• Average house price

  £121,851 in 2005 → £199,347 in 2026 (+63.6%)

  England over the same years: +85.9%

• Median weekly pay

  £334 in 2008 → £595 in 2025 (+78.5%)

  England over the same years: +63.7%

• Employment rate

  75.3% in 2004 → 73.9% in 2023 (−1.9%)

  England over the same years: +4.4%

• Claimant count

  2.7% in 2001 → 3.5% in 2025 (+29.6%)

  England over the same years: +60.0%

• Disposable income per head

  £9,126 in 1997 → £21,460 in 2024 (+135.2%)

  England over the same years: +143.8%

40 official indicators are published for Wakefield; 33 of them have a better and a worse direction and are ranked here. A rank of 1st is the best (lowest unemployment, highest pay, and so on).

Where it ranks best

• Gigabit broadband · Connectivity & access95.3% (January 2026) · 53rd highest of 361
• Housing affordability · Housing5.8× earnings (April 2025) · 58th lowest of 316
• Business births · Economy & work11.8% (2024) · 94th highest of 361
• High-growth businesses · Economy & work4.7% (2024) · 133rd highest of 361

Where it ranks worst

• Adult obesity · Health & wellbeing36.2% (2024/25) · 281st lowest of 296
• Healthy life expectancy, men · Health & wellbeing54.0 years (2022 to 2024) · 185th highest of 195
• Healthy life expectancy, women · Health & wellbeing53.8 years (2022 to 2024) · 182nd highest of 195
• Qualified to A level or above · Education & skills58.6% (2023) · 290th highest of 348

• Life expectancy (male) (2025)77.7 years · England 80.0 · 127th highest of 151
• Life expectancy (female) (2025)82.2 years · England 83.8 · 114th highest of 151
• Healthy life expectancy (male) (2022 - 24)54.0 years · England 60.9 · 143rd highest of 151
• Healthy life expectancy (female) (2022 - 24)53.8 years · England 61.3 · 145th highest of 151
• Under-75 mortality, all causes (2025)391.9 per 100k · England 321.0 · 114th lowest of 151
• Adult smoking prevalence (2024)11.5% · England 10.4 · 92nd lowest of 148
• Adults overweight or obese (2024/25)73.2% · England 64.6 · 141st lowest of 153

• School readiness (good development at Reception) (2024/25)69.6% · England 68.3 · 61st highest of 153
• GCSE Attainment 8 score (2024/25)44.8 score · England 46.0 · 94th highest of 153
• 16–17 year-olds NEET or activity not known (2025/26)3.9% · England 5.8 · 48th lowest of 150
• Children in absolute low-income families (2024/25)23.0% · England 19.8 · 103rd lowest of 153