Pontefract South East
Wakefield 018 · 4 sub-areas · 6,515 residents
Wakefield 018 is a predominantly residential part of Wakefield, home to around 6,500 people. Rents are among the most affordable in the region — a typical two-bedroom home lets for about £709 a month, well below the UK national median for a two-bed. The area has a notably high share of social housing and strong greenspace access, with most residents within walking distance of open space.
Pontefract South East is a commuter neighbourhood within Wakefield — train into Leeds runs in around 36 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 Pontefract South East?
3 parks and 2 playgrounds are within five minutes' walk, so greenspace is reliably close at hand; 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.
Pontefract South East in Wakefield
Living in Pontefract South East
This part of Wakefield is largely settled and owner-occupied, with a feel that's more long-established community than transient rental market. Around half of households own their home, and the area has a substantial social housing presence — nearly four in ten households are in social rented accommodation, which is well above the national norm. That tenure mix shapes the character of the area: it's not a place attracting lots of young professionals looking for a first city foothold, but it suits families and longer-term residents well.
Rents here are genuinely low by most standards. A two-bedroom home runs about £709 a month — roughly half what you'd pay for a comparable property in many parts of southern England, and comfortably below the UK median. Even so, rent-to-income pressure is real: at around 40% of take-home pay, renters here aren't necessarily getting an easy ride, which reflects modest local wages rather than high rents.
The population skews toward families and older residents. Almost a quarter of residents are under 18, and the 50-64 age group makes up nearly one in five. Single-person households account for just under three in ten homes. It's not a particularly diverse area — around 95% of residents were born in the UK — and degree-level qualifications are held by fewer than one in five adults, which is below the national average.
Practically speaking, the nearest rail station is roughly 800 metres away — about a ten-minute walk — giving reasonable access to Wakefield's rail connections. The nearest major employment hub is around 36 minutes away. Most residents drive to work: nearly two-thirds commute by car, and public transport use is low at around 6%. Broadband coverage is strong, with full gigabit availability across the area. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
What you'll need on day one
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Frequently asked
- Is Wakefield 018 a nice place to live?
- It's a settled, affordable residential area that suits families and long-term residents better than young professionals or new arrivals. Greenspace is genuinely good — around 83% of residents are within walking distance of open space, and the nearest green area is under 200 metres away on average. The trade-off is that crime is above the national average and school quality nearby is below it.
- What is the rent in Wakefield 018?
- A one-bedroom home runs around £563 a month, a two-bed around £709, and a three-bed around £848. These figures are estimates scaled from Wakefield-level data. Rents have risen about 5% year-on-year, in line with broader Yorkshire trends.
- Is Wakefield 018 safe?
- Crime runs at around 128 incidents per 1,000 residents annually — noticeably above the UK average of around 80 per 1,000. The area sits in the second-most-deprived decile nationally, which tends to correlate with higher crime rates. It's worth checking street-level crime data for specific streets if safety is a priority.
- What's the commute from Wakefield 018 to the city centre?
- The nearest rail station is about 800 metres away — roughly a ten-minute walk. The nearest major employment hub is around 36 minutes away by public transport or car. Most residents drive to work; public transport use is low at around 6% of commuters.
- Who lives in Wakefield 018?
- Mostly long-established residents — families, older homeowners, and social housing tenants. Around half own their homes and nearly 40% are in social rented accommodation. It's not a high-turnover rental area. The population is younger on one end (nearly a quarter are under 18) and older on the other, with a fairly limited 18–34 share.
- What schools are near Wakefield 018?
- There are 50 schools within 2km, but only around 31% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of about 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is approximately 690 metres away. Families should check current Ofsted ratings and admission criteria directly before making decisions based on school catchments.
- How affordable is buying a home in Wakefield 018?
- The median house price is around £211,000, and at typical local savings rates, first-time buyers could realistically save a deposit in about three and a half years. That makes it one of the more accessible parts of West Yorkshire for first-time buyers, though local wages — around £30,000 median — mean affordability is still a stretch for many.