Ince-in-Makerfield
Wigan 012 · 5 sub-areas · 8,576 residents
Wigan 012 is a residential area within Wigan, home to around 8,600 people and notably affordable by any regional measure. A typical two-bedroom home lets for roughly £690 a month — well under half the UK national median for the same size — and rents rose around 7% last year, reflecting growing demand. Social housing makes up a significant share of the local tenure mix, which shapes the character of the area considerably.
Ince-in-Makerfield is a commuter neighbourhood within Wigan — train into Liverpool runs in around 47 minutes, and the rhythm of weekday mornings is shaped by it. The demographic profile leans family-aged, with a clear share of households with school-age children.
Overview
What's it like to live in Ince-in-Makerfield?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; Public transport is genuinely strong; most errands and a fair share of social life don't need a car; rents are below the national norm, with a typical home letting at around £732 a month; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 5 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Ince-in-Makerfield in Wigan
Living in Ince-in-Makerfield
This part of Wigan is solidly working-class and residential in feel — the kind of area where most people own or rent through the council rather than through a letting agent. House prices are low even by Greater Manchester standards: the median paid price sits at around £145,000, which means a deposit is achievable in just over two years on a typical local salary. That's one of the more accessible entry points for buyers anywhere in the North West.
Rents are genuinely cheap. A one-bedroom home runs around £530 a month, a two-bedroom roughly £690, and a three-bedroom about £820. You're paying well under half what you'd expect for equivalent space in Manchester's city centre, and meaningfully less than many other Wigan neighbourhoods. The trade-off, as with much of outer Wigan, is that the area is car-dependent — over 60% of residents drive to work, and only around 7% use public transport for their commute.
The population skews younger than you might expect, with nearly a quarter of residents under 18 — one of the higher child shares in the borough. Couples with children make up around a fifth of households. Social renting accounts for over a third of all tenures, which is substantially above typical levels for the North West, and owner-occupation sits at around 46%. Degree-level qualifications are relatively uncommon, with just under 17% of residents holding one.
The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1 km away — about a 13-minute walk — and the public transport journey to Manchester takes around 51 minutes. Broadband is a genuine highlight: gigabit-capable coverage reaches 100% of premises, with no properties falling below the universal service obligation. For sub-areas and streets within the neighbourhood, see the breakdown below.
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Frequently asked
- Is Wigan 012 a nice place to live?
- It depends what you're after. It's affordable, quiet by the numbers, and has strong broadband and good greenspace access — the nearest green space is under 400 metres away on average. The trade-off is lower school quality ratings than the national average and heavy car dependency. It suits buyers and renters prioritising value over amenity density.
- What is the rent in Wigan 012?
- A one-bedroom home runs around £530 a month, a two-bedroom about £690, and a three-bedroom roughly £820. These are estimates scaled from borough-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 7% in the past year, so availability at these levels is tightening.
- Is Wigan 012 safe?
- The recorded crime rate is just 0.6 incidents per 1,000 residents annually — extremely low by any national comparison. That said, the area ranks in the bottom 15% nationally on the deprivation index, so it's worth checking current street-level crime data through the local police mapping tool for a fuller picture.
- What's the commute from Wigan 012 to Manchester city centre?
- By public transport, it's around 51 minutes to Manchester. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 1 km away — about a 13-minute walk. Most residents drive rather than commute by rail: over 61% use a car for their daily journey to work.
- Who lives in Wigan 012?
- Predominantly working-age families and younger households. Nearly a quarter of residents are under 18, and around a fifth of households are couples with children. Social renting accounts for over a third of all tenures. Degree holders make up fewer than one in five residents, and the area is one of the less ethnically diverse in the North West.
- What schools are near Wigan 012?
- There are 61 schools within typical catchment distance. Around 47% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 1.7 km away. Families should check individual admissions boundaries carefully, as school quality varies more here than in many comparable areas.
- How affordable is buying a home in Wigan 012?
- Very affordable by national standards. The median sale price is around £145,000, and on a typical local resident salary of roughly £31,600, you could save a deposit in about 2.3 years. That's one of the more accessible timelines anywhere in the North West.