Town Pop. 8,468

Living in Shelf and Northowram: Liveability Score 59/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Shelf and Northowram comes out at 59/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Transport is where Shelf and Northowram most outperforms the national norm: 77/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 62/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Shelf and Northowram places 3rd of 5 in the HX3 postcode district. Notably, nothing falls below 44/100. Most UK towns have at least one category in the 30s or worse. On transport specifically, Shelf and Northowram sits 10 points below the HX3 district figure of 87/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the HX3 postcode district.

59
OUT OF 100
Average
Score for:

Settlement area

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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.

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
62
111 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Violence and sexual offences 359 crimes
↑ 27% above national average
Other theft 88 crimes
↑ 68% above national average
Burglary 82 crimes
↑ 177% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 80 crimes
↓ 38% below national average
Vehicle crime 77 crimes
↑ 90% above national average
other 254 crimes
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  1. 1 Godley Road 36 crimes
  2. 2 Old Godley Lane 25 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 24 crimes

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

Environment
54
Air Quality NO₂ 8.9 · PM2.5 6.8 · PM10 10.4 µg/m³
71
Green Space 15
Parks Ample 14
Sports Pitches None
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Adequate 2
Playgrounds Ample 7

Services

Schools
56
10 schools in area · 34 within 4km
1Outstanding7Good2Ungraded
  • Northowram Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Farfield Primary and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Home Farm Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Reevy Hill Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Salterlee Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Shelf Junior and Infant SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Michael and All Angels CofE Primary & Pre SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Stocks Lane Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Buttershaw Business & Enterprise College AcademySecondary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary AcademyPrimary · 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
44
A&E departmentsCalderdale Royal Hospital1.7 mi
Bradford Royal Infirmary3.1 mi
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary4.9 mi
Hospital waitsCalderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks76%
A&E seen within 4 hrs87.8%
Nearest GP surgeryThe Northolme Practice1.4 mi
GP capacity2,080 patients per GP
0dentists2pharmacies

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
73
Full fibre (FTTP)77%
available across Calderdale
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
87.7%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
87.9%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 214 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
67
Employment rate58.4%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Employed58.4%Unemployed1.9%Retired29%Student2.9%Other inactive7.8%
Professional & managerial41.5%Skilled & technical35.4%Routine & elementary23.1%
No qualifications16.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.2%Level 3 (A levels)19.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.2%Apprenticeship8.1%Other (incl. vocational)2.3%
Home ownership78.1%
Among the least-deprived 36% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
52
Council tax Calderdale · 2026-27
A £1,613
B £1,882
C £2,151
D £2,420
E £2,958
F £3,496
G £4,033
H £4,840
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
77
Halifax 2.1 mi
Low Moor 2.9 mi
Brighouse 3.7 mi
J2 M606 3.4 mi
J2 M606 3.4 mi
J3 M606 3.4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
46
Pubs & Bars Adequate 7
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Some 1
Takeaways Some 1
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £250,000 85
Detached £390,000 23
Semi-detached £265,000 27
Terraced £165,000 34
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£136k £240k £348k £452k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Frequently asked questions

Is Shelf and Northowram a nice place to live?

Shelf and Northowram is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Shelf and Northowram is 59/100, 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 Shelf and Northowram?

Shelf and Northowram has crime levels below the national average. Our safety score is 62/100. There were 940 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Shelf and Northowram?

Among the top-rated schools in Shelf and Northowram are Northowram Primary School, Farfield Primary and Nursery School and Home Farm Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 10 rated schools in Shelf and Northowram in total.

What are house prices like in Shelf and Northowram?

The current median house price in Shelf and Northowram is £250,000, around 12% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £390,000, semi-detached £265,000, terraced £165,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 18%. There were 85 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

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