Town Pop. 61,532

Living in Dewsbury: Liveability Score 60/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Dewsbury scores 60/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Healthcare is where Dewsbury most outperforms the national norm: 79/100 against a median of 18/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 25/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That is 10 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the WF12 postcode district.

OUT OF 100

Average

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.

Dewsbury scores 60 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Dewsbury.

Or compare:

WF12 0AA WF12 7AB WF12 8AB WF12 9AE WF12 WF13 WF14 WF16

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

153.2 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3

Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months

Violence and sexual offences 4,291 crimes

↑ 109% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 931 crimes

≈ similar to national average

Public order 861 crimes

↑ 115% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 648 crimes

↑ 54% above national average

Other theft 517 crimes

↑ 35% above national average

other 2,180 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Parking Area 417 crimes
2 Westgate 191 crimes
3 Petrol Station 141 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 12.5 · PM2.5 7.3 · PM10 11.5 µg/m³

Green Space 56

Parks Ample 74

Sports Pitches Ample 31

Allotments Ample 11

Golf Courses Ample 3

Tennis Courts Ample 8

Bowling Greens Ample 15

Playgrounds Ample 48

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 46 in area · 55 within 4km

2Outstanding33Good3Requires Improvement1Inadequate7Ungraded

Crowlees Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
Outstanding
Ethos CollegeAlternative provision · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Castle Hall AcademySecondary · inspected 2023
Good
Diamond Wood Community AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Earlsheaton Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Field Lane Junior Infant and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Flatts Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2022
Good
Gawthorpe Community AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Hanging Heaton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good

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

A&E departmentsDewsbury & District Hospitalin area

Pinderfields Hospital4.2 mi

Leeds General Infirmary5.6 mi

Hospital waitsCalderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi

Routine referral (median)9 wks

Treated within 18 weeks76%

A&E seen within 4 hrs87.8%

10 GP surgeries in area 20 within 4km best 'Outstanding'

GP capacity3,115 patients per GP

9dentists17pharmacies

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

Full fibre (FTTP)92.4%

available across Kirklees

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

94.9%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

94.9%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

98.3%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,332 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate52.3%

Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed52.3%Unemployed3.9%Retired17%Student6.7%Other inactive20.1%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial27.8%Skilled & technical34.1%Routine & elementary38.1%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications28%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.6%Level 3 (A levels)15.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)22.1%Apprenticeship5.3%Other (incl. vocational)3%

Home ownership61.7%

Among the most-deprived 25% of areas in England

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Kirklees · 2026-27

A £1,627

B £1,899

C £2,170

D £2,441

E £2,983

F £3,526

G £4,068

H £4,882

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

Dewsbury 0.4 mi

Ravensthorpe 1.2 mi

Batley 1.7 mi

J40 M1 3.1 mi

J40 M1 3.3 mi

J28 M62 3.8 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 29

Restaurants & Cafes Adequate 10

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 44

Retail Shopping Ample 153

Takeaways Ample 46

Fitness Ample 5

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House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£181,000	247
Detached	£275,000	39
Semi-detached	£200,000	112
Terraced	£143,000	83
Flat / Maisonette	£83,000	13

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Frequently asked questions

Is Dewsbury a nice place to live?

Dewsbury is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Dewsbury is 60/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Dewsbury?

Crime levels in Dewsbury are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 25/100. There were 9,428 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Dewsbury?

Among the top-rated schools in Dewsbury are Crowlees Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School and Ethos College, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 46 rated schools in Dewsbury in total.

What are house prices like in Dewsbury?

The current median house price in Dewsbury is £181,000, around 36% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £275,000, semi-detached £200,000, terraced £143,000, flat £83,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 21%. There were 247 sales recorded in the past 12 months.