Moorthorpe
Wakefield 043 · 4 sub-areas · 5,736 residents
Wakefield 043 is a residential area within Wakefield, home to around 5,700 people and notably affordable by Yorkshire standards. A typical two-bedroom property lets for about £709 a month — well below the UK median for a 2-bed — and the area sits in the lower end of Wakefield's deprivation range, though it's close to a mainline rail station and has strong greenspace access.
Moorthorpe is a commuter neighbourhood within Wakefield — train into Leeds runs in around 39 minutes, and the rhythm of weekday mornings is shaped by it.
Overview
What's it like to live in Moorthorpe?
The area is unusually green for its density — 7 parks and 1 playgrounds sit within five minutes' walk of the centroid; Recorded crime is higher than the national norm — common for built-up urban areas, but worth weighing if you're looking for a quieter base; 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 £787 a month; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Moorthorpe in Wakefield
Living in Moorthorpe
This part of Wakefield is a working-class residential neighbourhood where the housing stock is predominantly owner-occupied terraces and semi-detached houses, with a meaningful share of social rented homes. Greenspace is a genuine strength — around 96% of residents are within easy walking distance of green space, with the nearest patch less than 150 metres away on average. That's genuinely unusual for an urban area and makes the day-to-day feel noticeably more open than many comparable Yorkshire neighbourhoods.
Rents here are low by any national benchmark. A two-bedroom home runs roughly £709 a month — around 40% less than the UK median for the same property type. For those buying, the median sale price sits at around £152,000, and the deposit saving period is about two and a half years. These are numbers that give first-time buyers a realistic foothold, particularly compared to the southern cities or even central Leeds.
The population skews older than the national average — nearly a quarter of residents are aged 65 or over, and the 50–64 group is also well represented. Single-person households make up more than a third of all homes. The community is predominantly UK-born, with an ethnic diversity index of around 4.7, and degree-level qualifications are relatively uncommon at around 17% of residents — broadly typical for this part of West Yorkshire.
The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 460 metres away — about a six-minute walk — which is a significant practical advantage over many suburban areas. Most residents drive to work (around 63%), but the proximity of rail means longer-distance commuting to Leeds or further afield is a genuine option. See the streets and sub-areas below for more on how conditions vary across the neighbourhood.
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Frequently asked
- Is Wakefield 043 a nice place to live?
- It depends on your priorities. The greenspace access is excellent — nearly all residents are within walking distance of green space — and rents are low. The trade-off is a crime rate well above the national average and a relatively weak local Ofsted profile. It suits buyers and renters prioritising affordability and outdoor space over prestige or school catchment.
- What is the rent in Wakefield 043?
- A two-bedroom home runs around £709 a month, a one-bedroom around £563, and a three-bedroom around £848. These are estimates based on local sale prices scaled from district-level data. Rents rose roughly 5% in the past year.
- Is Wakefield 043 safe?
- Crime runs at around 174 incidents per 1,000 residents annually — roughly double the UK national average. The area sits in the bottom two deprivation deciles nationally, which correlates with higher crime rates. It's worth checking the specific crime categories for the streets you're considering rather than relying solely on the headline rate.
- What's the commute from Wakefield 043 to Wakefield city centre?
- The nearest mainline rail station is about a six-minute walk away, making rail commuting practical. The nearest major employment hub is around 39 minutes by public transport. Most residents drive, though — only about 4% use public transport for their daily commute.
- Who lives in Wakefield 043?
- Mostly older residents — nearly a quarter are aged 65 or over — with a significant share of single-person households (around 36%). The community is predominantly UK-born and owner-occupied, with around 21% in social rented housing. It's a settled, working-class residential area rather than a young-professional neighbourhood.
- What schools are near Wakefield 043?
- There are 25 schools within two kilometres, but only around 40% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of around 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately five kilometres away. Families with strong school preferences should check individual catchment boundaries carefully.
- How affordable is buying a home in Wakefield 043?
- Relatively affordable by Yorkshire standards. The median sale price is around £152,000, and a typical buyer needs about two and a half years to save a deposit. That's a realistic timescale compared to many UK areas, particularly for first-time buyers already living and working in the region.