Town Pop. 33,041

Living in Pontefract: Liveability Score 57/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Pontefract is 57/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 78/100 against a national town median of 21/100. Safety falls furthest short: 24/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

No other settlement in the WF11 postcode district scores higher. Pontefract leads all 7. It scores 12 points above the WF11 postcode district as a whole, which averages 45/100. On transport specifically, Pontefract sits 20 points above the WF11 district figure of 58/100. For the surrounding area, see WF11 postcode district.

57
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.

Pontefract scores 57 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Pontefract.
Or compare:
WF11 0AA WF11 8AA WF11 9AB WF11 WF7 WF8

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
24
130.4 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 1,972 crimes
↑ 79% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 512 crimes
≈ similar to national average
Shoplifting 333 crimes
↑ 29% above national average
Public order 327 crimes
↑ 52% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 313 crimes
↑ 40% above national average
other 850 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Supermarket 208 crimes
  2. 2 Valley Road 124 crimes
  3. 3 Beastfair 115 crimes

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

Environment
66
Air Quality NO₂ 9.5 · PM2.5 7.1 · PM10 12.5 µg/m³
69
Green Space 59
Parks Ample 32
Sports Pitches Ample 19
Allotments Ample 6
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 10
Bowling Greens Adequate 3
Playgrounds Ample 15

Services

Schools
56
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 16 in area · 30 within 4km
1Outstanding10Good1Requires Improvement4Ungraded
  • De Lacy Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Featherstone All Saints CofE AcademyPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Halfpenny Lane Junior Infant and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Harewood Centre Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2022
    Good
  • High Well SchoolSpecial · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Holy Family and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Orchard Head Junior and Infant and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary School PontefractPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • The King's SchoolSecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • The Rookeries Carleton Junior and Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    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
58
A&E departmentsPontefract Hospitalin area
Pinderfields Hospital5.9 mi
St James's Hospital A&E10.4 mi
Hospital waitsLeeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)10 wks
Treated within 18 weeks67.2%
A&E seen within 4 hrs78.3%
3 GP surgeries in area 5 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity1,664 patients per GP
7dentists5pharmacies

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
76
Full fibre (FTTP)94.7%
available across Wakefield
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
89.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
89.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.4%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 780 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
43
Employment rate57.6%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed57.6%Unemployed2.7%Retired24.4%Student3%Other inactive12.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial32.9%Skilled & technical31.4%Routine & elementary35.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications23.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.1%Level 3 (A levels)16.6%Level 4+ (degree & above)25.3%Apprenticeship6.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership64.7%
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
78
Pontefract Baghill 0.1 mi
Pontefract Tanshelf 0.5 mi
Pontefract Monkhill 0.5 mi
J32A M62 1.4 mi
J33 M62 1.4 mi
J32 M62 1.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
68
Pubs & Bars Ample 45
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 42
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 24
Retail Shopping Ample 222
Takeaways Ample 45
Fitness Ample 10

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £205,000 216
Detached £335,000 71
Semi-detached £197,500 86
Terraced £140,000 44
Flat / Maisonette £92,500 15
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£80k £168k £259k £348k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Darrington 43 2.0 mi away ⇄
Holmfield 47 2.2 mi away ⇄
Featherstone (Wakefield) 53 2.2 mi away ⇄
Knottingley 45 2.4 mi away ⇄
Castleford 54 2.5 mi away ⇄
High Ackworth 52 2.6 mi away ⇄
Brotherton 42 2.9 mi away ⇄
Byram 41 2.9 mi away ⇄
Low Ackworth 51 2.9 mi away ⇄
Ackworth Moor Top 53 3.7 mi away ⇄
Thorpe Audlin 48 3.8 mi away ⇄
Fairburn 39 3.8 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Pontefract a nice place to live?

Pontefract is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Pontefract is 57/100, 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 Pontefract?

Crime levels in Pontefract are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 24/100. There were 4,307 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Pontefract?

Among the top-rated schools in Pontefract are De Lacy Primary School, Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy and Halfpenny Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 16 rated schools in Pontefract in total.

What are house prices like in Pontefract?

The current median house price in Pontefract is £205,000, around 28% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £335,000, semi-detached £197,500, terraced £140,000, flat £92,500. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 13%. There were 216 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Pontefract in context

See the best places to live in West Yorkshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Pontefract

WF11 45 ⇄
WF7 52 ⇄
WF8 55 ⇄

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