Wharncliffe Side’s story
No listed buildings inside Wharncliffe Side’s built-up area
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Wharncliffe SideSouth Yorkshire
On the way to work, 15% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. 1,387 people call this village in South Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Alan Murray-Rust · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,387
Census 2021 · Sheffield council
Median home
£220K
53 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.4
22% are 65+ · South Yorkshire 18%
Degree level
33%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Wharncliffe Side a good place to live?
Schools are its strong suit — primary results beat just over nine in ten towns in England; secondary results beat 77% of towns in England. Crime runs high: 33.7 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 17.5 home and vehicle crimes. Against UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has more crime per resident than 91%. At a median £220,000, a home costs 4.6 times the yearly income of households in the Sheffield council area. It also trails on jobs & income: the mean household earns £57,557 a year. Its other grades sit near the middle: B for health and B for walkability.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · income and life expectancy, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Wharncliffe Side has subject grades but no overall one.
How Wharncliffe Side grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Wharncliffe Side is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 91% of towns in England; secondary results beat 77% of towns in EnglandAOpen →SafetyAmong the weakest of the towns comparedC−Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workC−Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB+Open →HealthLife expectancy 82.3 for men, 84.1 for womenBOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesBOpen →Cost of livingRent £931 a monthC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors47% live within 400 m of a park; 22% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life2.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Wharncliffe Side stand out
The 3 things Wharncliffe Side does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results beat 91%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 77%. Department for Education.
Claimant rate, against UK towns
Work
4% claim jobless benefits
of 16 to 64s in 2026: more than in 88% of UK towns
DWP claimant count, January to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wharncliffe Side.
History
Most of Wharncliffe Side is newer: only 9% of homes were built before 1919, below South Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
0listed buildingsD−History Grade
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Wharncliffe Side’s built-up area.
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
SchoolsA
Exam results at Wharncliffe Side’s schools top 89% of towns in England
ASchool Grade
GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 55% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 49.4. There is one school here; it is shown below. At the 4 primary schools within 3 km, 72% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wharncliffe Side Primary School and NurseryLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 152 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Per resident, Wharncliffe Side sees more crime than 80% of UK towns
33.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
The 12 months to August 2026 brought 83 recorded crimes inside Wharncliffe Side’s built-up area, and 25 reports of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 27.2 reports per 1,000, above both South Yorkshire’s towns (13.4) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences accounted for 57% of recorded crime.
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 9% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual47
Damage & arson8
Other theft8
Vehicle crime7
Public order6
Burglary2
Other crime2
Drugs1
Anti-social25
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
33.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
17.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
27.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
83
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Most people in Wharncliffe Side (79%) report good or very good health
79%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
Seeing a GP means leaving Wharncliffe Side: the nearest practice is 1 miles away. Men in Wharncliffe Side can expect to live to 82.3, women to 84.1 (2019–23). At the census, a fifth of people here had a disability, close to South Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and above England’s towns (17%).
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Wharncliffe Side | South Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.4% | 6.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 21% | 17% |
82.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.1
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Under 5 km to work: 17% in Wharncliffe Side, fewer than in both South Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
15%walk, cycle or ride
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
83% of commuters drove, above South Yorkshire’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 4%. Of the commuters living in Wharncliffe Side, 3% work in the town itself. Jobs per working resident: 0.2.
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
Bus10%
On foot3%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£58K
mean household income, before tax
4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 59% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C+
Few households rent privately in Wharncliffe Side: 8%, fewer than in both South Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
£220Kmedian sale
The owner-occupied share of households is 70%. The £220,000 median rests on 53 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026). Social housing holds 22% of households, close to South Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and above England’s towns (18%).
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Wharncliffe Side£220K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £460,800 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £186,000 | 26 |
| Terraced | £280,000 | 18 |
70%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£931
average private rent a month, Sheffield council area
£2,549
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Wharncliffe Side skews older, with 22% of residents 65 or over, more than in both South Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
45.4median age
Typical age in Wharncliffe Side: 45.4, the median. Aged 15 to 24: 10% of residents. 19% are under 15, above both South Yorkshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Degrees are held by a third of adults.
Wharncliffe SideSouth YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar13%
Degree level33%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Wharncliffe Side | South Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 18% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 22% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.6% | 6.2% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · South Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wharncliffe Side
14pages on Wharncliffe Side
The big questions
SafetyC−33.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingC+Median home £220K · rent £931 a monthHousing13 sold in 12 months · busiest street Old Mill LaneSchoolsA1 state schoolHealthBLife expectancy 82.3 (men), 84.1 (women)Work & commuteC−45% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB+0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
About Wharncliffe Side
Village in South Yorkshire, England
Wharncliffe Side is a built-up area of 1,387 people, in the Sheffield council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 1,387 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Sheffield
- County
- South Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001335
Wharncliffe Side’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
OughtibridgeWorrallDeepcarStocksbridgeEcclesfield and GrenosideChapeltown and High GreenThurgolandWharncliffe Side
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wharncliffe Side | 1,387 | — | — | C+ | C− | B |
| Oughtibridge | 3,128 | 1.1 | B− | C− | B | B+ |
| Worrall | 1,320 | 1.7 | — | D | A− | A− |
| Deepcar | 5,644 | 2.1 | C+ | C+ | C+ | B− |
| Stocksbridge | 7,264 | 2.9 | C− | B− | C− | C− |
| Ecclesfield and Grenoside | 8,187 | 3.2 | C | C+ | C+ | C+ |
| Chapeltown and High Green | 22,187 | 3.3 | C+ | B− | C+ | C |
| Thurgoland | 1,239 | 4.1 | — | C | B+ | B− |
Worrall and Thurgoland have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Wharncliffe Side
Is Wharncliffe Side safe?
Burglary was rare, with 2 reports in the year.
Are schools in Wharncliffe Side good?
GCSE results beat 77% of towns in England, and primary results beat 91% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Sheffield council.
Is Wharncliffe Side expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £220,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £280,000, semi-detached houses £186,000 and detached houses £460,800.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.