Town Pop. 1,038

Living in Darrington: Liveability Score 43/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Darrington scores 43/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Broadband is where Darrington most outperforms the national norm: 98/100 against a median of 60/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 56/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Among the 4 scored places sharing the WF8 postcode district, Darrington ranks 3rd. It scores 12 points below the WF8 postcode district as a whole, which averages 55/100. On broadband specifically, Darrington sits 26 points above the WF8 district figure of 72/100. For the surrounding area, see WF8 postcode district.

43
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Darrington scores 43 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Darrington.
Or compare:
WF8 1AA WF8 2AB WF8 3AA WF8 4AA WF8 9AN WF8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
56
120.4 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Vehicle crime 42 crimes
↑ 744% above national average
Violence and sexual offences 40 crimes
↑ 16% above national average
Burglary 10 crimes
↑ 174% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 7 crimes
↓ 56% below national average
Other theft 6 crimes
≈ similar to national average
other 20 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Applewood Gardens 22 crimes
  2. 2 Petrol Station 13 crimes
  3. 3 Back Lane 12 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment
54
Air Quality NO₂ 9.1 · PM2.5 7.2 · PM10 14.7 µg/m³
68
Green Space 22
Parks None
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
16
1 school in area · 18 within 4km
1Ungraded
  • Darrington Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
13
A&E departmentsPontefract Hospital1.6 mi
Pinderfields Hospital8.7 mi
Doncaster Royal Infirmary11.4 mi
Hospital waitsMid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust1.5 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66.9%
A&E seen within 4 hrs74.1%
Nearest GP surgeryDr Watson & Partners1.9 mi
GP capacity1,638 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband
98
Full fibre (FTTP)94.7%
available across Wakefield
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
99.3%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
99.3%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 44 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
68
Employment rate48.6%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed48.6%Unemployed2.3%Retired39.7%Student2.4%Other inactive7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial45.9%Skilled & technical35.9%Routine & elementary18.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications17.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.3%Level 3 (A levels)14.7%Level 4+ (degree & above)34.9%Apprenticeship6.2%Other (incl. vocational)3.5%
Home ownership82.8%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
62
Council tax Wakefield · 2026-27
A £1,531
B £1,787
C £2,042
D £2,297
E £2,807
F £3,318
G £3,828
H £4,594
Energy Yorkshire region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Yorkshire Water
Average bill regional £437/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
32
Pontefract Baghill 1.9 mi
Knottingley 2.2 mi
Pontefract Monkhill 2.2 mi
J40 A1(M) 0.4 mi
J33 M62 1.3 mi
J33 M62 1.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
25
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Darrington in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Pontefract 57 2.0 mi away ⇄
Knottingley 45 2.1 mi away ⇄
Thorpe Audlin 48 2.6 mi away ⇄
Womersley 31 2.9 mi away ⇄
High Ackworth 52 3.0 mi away ⇄
Holmfield 47 3.0 mi away ⇄
Low Ackworth 51 3.0 mi away ⇄
Kirk Smeaton and Little Smeaton 37 3.1 mi away ⇄
Byram 41 3.4 mi away ⇄
Kellingley 37 3.4 mi away ⇄
Badsworth 50 3.5 mi away ⇄
Brotherton 42 3.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Darrington a nice place to live?

Darrington has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Darrington is 43/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Darrington?

Darrington has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 56/100. There were 125 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

Darrington in context

See the best places to live in West Yorkshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Darrington

WF8 55 ⇄

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