Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
917 people call this village in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber home.
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Low Ackworth has no grades; its figures are still real. 10% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its listed buildings number 10, with 1 at Grade I. 30% of residents are 65 or over.
The 3 things Low Ackworth does most differently from other towns.
Historic England lists them inside Low Ackworth’s built-up area.
25% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Low Ackworth.
People 65 and over make up 30% of the town, above West Yorkshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) alike. Aged 15 to 24: 7.9% of residents. Low Ackworth has a median age of 53.8 years. Degrees are held by 38% of adults.
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Low Ackworth | West Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.9% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.6% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
62% of pupils at the 6 primary schools within 3 km met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School’s results beat 83% of schools in England like it. The one school in town appears below. Secondary results at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 42.8, with 43% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ackworth Howard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 229 | A− |
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 33% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
1% of 16 to 64s claimed unemployment benefits in 2026, below West Yorkshire’s towns (2.3%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. For 27% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. Work in town: 6% of resident commuters. Low Ackworth counts 0.2 jobs per working resident.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Council and housing-body homes hold 13% of households. 81% of households own their home, above West Yorkshire’s towns (61%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. Behind the median of £321,500: 24 standard sales inside Low Ackworth’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £363,750 | 12 |
| Semi-detached | £200,000 | 9 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Violence and sexual offences were 30% of the crimes. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 27 recorded crimes inside Low Ackworth’s built-up area, and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Property crime (burglary and damage) runs at 10.5 per 1,000 residents a year.
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.
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.
The nearest A&E to Low Ackworth is Pinderfields Hospital, 7.5 miles away. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.8 miles away. Also worth knowing: at the census, nearly a fifth of people here had a disability, higher than both West Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%).
| Census 2021 | Low Ackworth | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.9% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for a quarter of the housing. Scaled to its population, Low Ackworth has 109 listed buildings per 10,000 people, above both West Yorkshire’s towns (25) and England’s towns (39). The top grade, Grade I, goes to 1 of them.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Low Ackworth. Best known first.
CastlePontefract Castle4.8 km outside town, to the north
Historic house · National TrustNostell Priory3.3 km outside town, to the west
MuseumPontefract Museum4.3 km outside town, to the northWater parkWater parkHemsworth Water Park3.1 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Ackworth | 917 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ackworth Moor Top | 6,275 | 1.2 | B | B− | C+ | A− |
| Featherstone | 11,657 | 2.4 | D | B+ | D− | D |
| Fitzwilliam and Kinsley | 4,993 | 2.7 | D− | B | D− | D− |
| Darrington | 1,194 | 2.7 | — | C− | C− | A− |
| Pontefract | 32,982 | 2.8 | C+ | B+ | D | C− |
| Upton | 6,332 | 2.9 | D | B+ | D | C− |
| Hemsworth | 9,177 | 3.2 | D | B | D− | D |
Darrington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 4.5 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Ackworth School (That Part Comprising Centre Block East and West Wings Shed Court Main Entrance).
Band D council tax in Low Ackworth is £2,364 for 2026–27, less than in 64% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Village in West Yorkshire, England
Low Ackworth is a built-up area of 917 people, in the Wakefield 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
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.