"Housing provides the base from which people live their lives, connecting them to work, education, services and their communities. The affordability of housing, alongside the stability, quality and size of homes, is crucial in itself, but also, if unaffordable, can drag occupants into poverty... At worst, households facing unaffordable housing costs can experience destitution, homelessness or rough sleeping." — JRF poverty report 2023.

This is the Housing spotlight page for Wakefield.

Key indicators

The following analysis reflects the experience across the population of Wakefield.

Housing tenure mix

Long term trends

The long term trends looks at data from the previous censuses, to show the change in tenure mix.

Social rented
Private rented
Owner occupied
Other
Tenure mix (%)010020406080Census year20212011200119911981In 1981, 47654% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 1991, 41125% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 2001, 78221% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 2011, 33129% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 2021, 33188% of tenure was in the social rented sector.In 1981, 2125% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 1991, 6722% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 2001, 15630% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 2011, 16017% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 2021, 22754% of tenure was in the private rented sector.In 1981, 55316% of tenure was owner occupied.In 1991, 75140% of tenure was owner occupied.In 2001, 214256% of tenure was owner occupied.In 2011, 89291% of tenure was owner occupied.In 2021, 95826% of tenure was owner occupied.In 1981, 7171% of tenure was of another type.In 1991, 0% of tenure was of another type.In 2001, 4582% of tenure was of another type.In 2011, 1977% of tenure was of another type.In 2021, 1307% of tenure was of another type.

Shorter term estimates

This data is based on subnational estimates of dwellings by tenure. The data for owner occupation is broken down further by owned outright and owned with a morgage or loan.

Social rented
Private rented
Owned outright
Owned with mortgage or loan
Tenure mix (%)010020406080Year2021202020192018201720162015201420132012Social rented 2012: 23.91%Social rented 2013: 23.75%Social rented 2014: 23.65%Social rented 2015: 23.49%Social rented 2016: 23.45%Social rented 2017: 23.08%Social rented 2018: 22.76%Social rented 2019: 22.51%Social rented 2020: 22.29%Social rented 2021: 22.05%Private rented 2012: 13.34%Private rented 2013: 13.92%Private rented 2014: 14.36%Private rented 2015: 14.83%Private rented 2016: 14.98%Private rented 2017: 14.82%Private rented 2018: 14.65%Private rented 2019: 14.38%Private rented 2020: 14.35%Private rented 2021: 14.57%Owned outright 2012: 29.59%Owned outright 2013: 29.66%Owned outright 2014: 29.99%Owned outright 2015: 30.55%Owned outright 2016: 31.02%Owned outright 2017: 31.78%Owned outright 2018: 32.35%Owned outright 2019: 32.66%Owned outright 2020: 34.34%Owned outright 2021: 36.04%Owned with mortgage or loan 2012: 33.16%Owned with mortgage or loan 2013: 32.67%Owned with mortgage or loan 2014: 31.99%Owned with mortgage or loan 2015: 31.12%Owned with mortgage or loan 2016: 30.55%Owned with mortgage or loan 2017: 30.32%Owned with mortgage or loan 2018: 30.25%Owned with mortgage or loan 2019: 30.45%Owned with mortgage or loan 2020: 29.02%Owned with mortgage or loan 2021: 27.34%

Local Housing Allowance shortfall

What's on this chart?

LHA used to be benchmarked to the the 30th percentile of rental prices but has been frozen in cash terms since April 2020. As a result LHA now lags the rental prices in some areas.

Difference between 30th percentile rental and LHA (£)010015050Size of propertyThree bedroomTwo bedroomOne bedroomSingle room£79 for Single room rentals.£66 for One bedroom rentals.£70 for Two bedroom rentals.£121 for Three bedroom rentals.

Median house prices

What's on this chart?

This chart shows median house prices over time in Wakefield.

Dataset

House Prices
Wakefield
Year1017776000000121777600000014177760000001617776000000817776000000Median House Prices (£)0150k150k200k250k300k350k50kWakefield 1995-12-01: 45000Wakefield 1996-03-01: 45000Wakefield 1996-06-01: 45500Wakefield 1996-09-01: 45200Wakefield 1996-12-01: 46416Wakefield 1997-03-01: 47000Wakefield 1997-06-01: 47500Wakefield 1997-09-01: 48500Wakefield 1997-12-01: 48900Wakefield 1998-03-01: 49750Wakefield 1998-06-01: 49950Wakefield 1998-09-01: 49950Wakefield 1998-12-01: 49950Wakefield 1999-03-01: 49950Wakefield 1999-06-01: 50000Wakefield 1999-09-01: 50000Wakefield 1999-12-01: 51000Wakefield 2000-03-01: 51000Wakefield 2000-06-01: 52000Wakefield 2000-09-01: 53000Wakefield 2000-12-01: 53500Wakefield 2001-03-01: 54000Wakefield 2001-06-01: 55000Wakefield 2001-09-01: 55000Wakefield 2001-12-01: 57000Wakefield 2002-03-01: 58500Wakefield 2002-06-01: 59995Wakefield 2002-09-01: 62995Wakefield 2002-12-01: 67500Wakefield 2003-03-01: 71000Wakefield 2003-06-01: 76000Wakefield 2003-09-01: 81995Wakefield 2003-12-01: 86000Wakefield 2004-03-01: 89000Wakefield 2004-06-01: 94500Wakefield 2004-09-01: 98995Wakefield 2004-12-01: 104000Wakefield 2005-03-01: 106500Wakefield 2005-06-01: 110000Wakefield 2005-09-01: 114950Wakefield 2005-12-01: 116375Wakefield 2006-03-01: 117000Wakefield 2006-06-01: 118125Wakefield 2006-09-01: 119500Wakefield 2006-12-01: 120000Wakefield 2007-03-01: 122497.5Wakefield 2007-06-01: 124500Wakefield 2007-09-01: 125000Wakefield 2007-12-01: 128628Wakefield 2008-03-01: 129995Wakefield 2008-06-01: 129950Wakefield 2008-09-01: 126650Wakefield 2008-12-01: 123900Wakefield 2009-03-01: 124295Wakefield 2009-06-01: 120000Wakefield 2009-09-01: 119000Wakefield 2009-12-01: 120950Wakefield 2010-03-01: 122000Wakefield 2010-06-01: 124995Wakefield 2010-09-01: 125000Wakefield 2010-12-01: 125000Wakefield 2011-03-01: 125000Wakefield 2011-06-01: 122500Wakefield 2011-09-01: 120000Wakefield 2011-12-01: 118000Wakefield 2012-03-01: 118000Wakefield 2012-06-01: 119972.5Wakefield 2012-09-01: 119000Wakefield 2012-12-01: 120000Wakefield 2013-03-01: 121000Wakefield 2013-06-01: 120000Wakefield 2013-09-01: 120000Wakefield 2013-12-01: 121000Wakefield 2014-03-01: 120000Wakefield 2014-06-01: 124000Wakefield 2014-09-01: 125000Wakefield 2014-12-01: 125000Wakefield 2015-03-01: 125000Wakefield 2015-06-01: 127000Wakefield 2015-09-01: 129896Wakefield 2015-12-01: 130000Wakefield 2016-03-01: 132500Wakefield 2016-06-01: 135000Wakefield 2016-09-01: 136000Wakefield 2016-12-01: 139995Wakefield 2017-03-01: 140000Wakefield 2017-06-01: 143000Wakefield 2017-09-01: 145000Wakefield 2017-12-01: 146000Wakefield 2018-03-01: 149995Wakefield 2018-06-01: 152000Wakefield 2018-09-01: 152000Wakefield 2018-12-01: 153995Wakefield 2019-03-01: 154950Wakefield 2019-06-01: 155000Wakefield 2019-09-01: 156000Wakefield 2019-12-01: 158000Wakefield 2020-03-01: 160000Wakefield 2020-06-01: 158625Wakefield 2020-09-01: 159995Wakefield 2020-12-01: 162000Wakefield 2021-03-01: 170000Wakefield 2021-06-01: 175000Wakefield 2021-09-01: 180000Wakefield 2021-12-01: 180000Wakefield 2022-03-01: 179950Wakefield 2022-06-01: 177500Wakefield 2022-09-01: 180000Wakefield 2022-12-01: 182000Wakefield 2023-03-01: 185000

Current median rental prices by type of property

What's on this chart?

This chart shows current median rental prices by type of property in Wakefield.

Dataset

Wakefield
01200400800totalstudioroombed4plusbed3bed2bed1Wakefield bed1: 506Wakefield bed2: 616Wakefield bed3: 739Wakefield bed4plus: 1081Wakefield room: 353Wakefield studio: 450Wakefield total: 659

Tenure type and poverty rates

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the poverty rates by type of tenure in Wakefield, both before and after housing costs. The threshold for low income poverty is households below 60% of median net household income in latest prices.

Dataset

HBAI by type of tenure

No data available at this level.

Poverty rates by tenure type (AHC)

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the poverty rates by type of tenure in Wakefield. The threshold for low income poverty is households below 60% of median net household income (after housing costs) in latest prices.

Dataset

HBAI by type of tenure

Things to add: Current and historic tenure mix - drawing on census data - Social housing sales - RTB - completions of new homes relative to existing stock

No data available at this level.

Lower quartile rent to lower quartile earnings ratio

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the ratio of lower quartile rent for a 2 bedroom property to lower quartile earnings across different areas in Wakefield. A higher value means the average person spends a larger proportion of their earnings on rent.

Dataset

No data available at this level.

Demographic breakdown

People living in households below average income by age category

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the the poverty rates by by age category in Wakefield. The threshold for low income poverty is households below 60% of median net household income (after housing costs) in latest prices.

Dataset

HBAI by age category

No data available at this level.

Council tax support

What's on this chart?

This chart shows the number of people claiming council tax support in Wakefield.

Dataset

Council Tax Support
Working-age
Pensioners
Year14593824000001509382400000155938240000016093824000001659382400000Number of people015000225007500Working-age 2023-06-30: 20116Working-age 2023-03-31: 20045Working-age 2022-12-31: 19608Working-age 2022-09-30: 19524Working-age 2022-06-30: 19423Working-age 2022-03-31: 18643Working-age 2021-12-31: 18982Working-age 2021-09-30: 19170Working-age 2021-06-30: 19197Working-age 2021-03-31: 18917Working-age 2020-12-31: 19195Working-age 2020-09-30: 19156Working-age 2020-06-30: 18564Working-age 2020-03-31: 16105Working-age 2019-12-31: 15766Working-age 2019-09-30: 15698Working-age 2019-06-30: 15500Working-age 2019-03-31: 14880Working-age 2018-12-31: 15022Working-age 2018-09-30: 15171Working-age 2018-06-30: 15195Working-age 2018-03-31: 15001Working-age 2017-12-31: 15268Working-age 2017-09-30: 15400Working-age 2017-06-30: 15519Working-age 2017-03-31: 15416Working-age 2016-12-31: 15390Working-age 2016-09-30: 15628Working-age 2016-06-30: 15757Working-age 2016-03-31: 15587Pensioners 2023-06-30: 9940Pensioners 2023-03-31: 9932Pensioners 2022-12-31: 10024Pensioners 2022-09-30: 10003Pensioners 2022-06-30: 10015Pensioners 2022-03-31: 10008Pensioners 2021-12-31: 10043Pensioners 2021-09-30: 10121Pensioners 2021-06-30: 10162Pensioners 2021-03-31: 10209Pensioners 2020-12-31: 10357Pensioners 2020-09-30: 10502Pensioners 2020-06-30: 10543Pensioners 2020-03-31: 10725Pensioners 2019-12-31: 10845Pensioners 2019-09-30: 10953Pensioners 2019-06-30: 11015Pensioners 2019-03-31: 11140Pensioners 2018-12-31: 11339Pensioners 2018-09-30: 11418Pensioners 2018-06-30: 11519Pensioners 2018-03-31: 11641Pensioners 2017-12-31: 11876Pensioners 2017-09-30: 11959Pensioners 2017-06-30: 12140Pensioners 2017-03-31: 12176Pensioners 2016-12-31: 12445Pensioners 2016-09-30: 12593Pensioners 2016-06-30: 12734Pensioners 2016-03-31: 12916