Methley’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Methley’s built-up area.
13% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MethleyWest Yorkshire
Some 1,196 people live in this village, in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Bill Henderson · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,196
Census 2021 · Leeds council
Median home
£193K
42 sales in 3 years
Median age
38.1
10% are 65+ · West Yorkshire 17%
Degree level
33%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Methley a good place to live?
Police record less crime here than in most towns: 20.4 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 8.9 home and vehicle crimes. The weak point is walkability — 7% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. At a median £192,500, a home costs 3.8 times the yearly income of households in the Leeds council area. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for schools, B for jobs & income and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021 · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · incomes, ONS · claimants, DWP · flood risk, Environment Agency. Methley is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
What makes Methley stand out
The 3 things Methley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
Only 10% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
31% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Methley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Methley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Methley is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesDOpen →HealthLife expectancy 77.6 for men, 80.7 for womenC−Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentBOpen →Jobs & incomeAbout average among the towns comparedBOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 53% of towns in EnglandB−Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnB−Open →Hazard risk0.2% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 0.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life0 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Methley.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
More commuters in Methley drive than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 91%
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.
Short trips to work, under 5 km: 17%, below both West Yorkshire’s towns (46%) and England’s towns (45%). Average household income comes to £50K a year before tax. Unemployment benefit claims reached 1.9% of 16 to 64s in 2026.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
Bus5%
Bicycle2%
On foot1%
17%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 8% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Much of Methley is a conservation area: 100% of its land, more than in West Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
13% of homes date from before 1919. Grade II covers all 2 listed buildings that Historic England records here. Listed buildings per head: 17 for every 10,000 residents of Methley.
2listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
13%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
17
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Fewer people in Methley live with a disability than in West Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 13%
Asked at the census, 86% of residents of Methley said they were in good or very good health. Men in Methley can expect to live to 77.6, women to 80.7 (2019–23). There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 0.7 miles off.
86%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 9%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Methley | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.8% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
77.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
80.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Methley records 8.9 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, against 12.7 in West Yorkshire’s towns and 9.4 in England’s towns
Reported offences in Methley came to 36 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 10. Of all the crimes, 53% were violence and sexual offences. For its size, Methley records more crime per resident than 64% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people.
20.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 36% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual19
Other theft5
Damage & arson3
Other crime3
Burglary2
Public order1
Drugs1
Vehicle crime1
Anti-social10
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.
20.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
36
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.
HousingCost of living grade B−
Few households rent privately in Methley: 11%, fewer than in West Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
75% of households are owner-occupiers. Social housing holds 14% of households, below both West Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £1,145 a month across the Leeds council area.
£193Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Methley£193K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £370,000 | 6 |
| Semi-detached | £196,000 | 22 |
| Terraced | £169,750 | 14 |
75%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£1,145
average private rent a month, Leeds council area
£2,272
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
A younger town: only 10% of people in Methley are 65 or over, fewer than in West Yorkshire’s towns and across England’s towns
20% of residents are children under 15. Half of Methley is older than 38.1, half younger. Graduates make up a third of adults.
38.1median age
MethleyWest YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
13%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level33%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Methley | West Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 13% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 26% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 10% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.6% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 33% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Queen's Mill and 4 more in and around Methley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Methley. Best known first.
MuseumQueen's Mill3 km outside town, to the east
Historic houseOulton Hall3.7 km outside town, to the northwestTheme parkTheme parkDiggerland Yorkshire1.3 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttractionBE1150 Dragline2.6 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumCastleford Forum Museum3.1 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Queen's Mill: Bill Henderson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Oulton Hall: Bill Henderson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Methley
14pages on Methley
The big questions
SafetyB20.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £193K · rent £1,145 a monthHousing15 sold in 12 months · busiest street Embleton RoadSchoolsB−HealthC−Life expectancy 77.6 (men), 80.7 (women)Work & commuteB48% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB−0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Methley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
MickletownAllerton BywaterNormantonBottom BoatCastlefordSwillingtonKippaxMethley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methley | 1,196 | — | — | B− | B | C− |
| Mickletown | 3,362 | 0.7 | B− | C+ | B− | C− |
| Allerton Bywater | 6,958 | 1.9 | C+ | B− | C− | C |
| Normanton | 21,976 | 2.1 | C+ | B+ | D | C− |
| Bottom Boat | 1,191 | 2.3 | — | A− | C− | C |
| Castleford | 45,363 | 2.6 | D | B+ | D− | D |
| Swillington | 3,077 | 2.8 | B− | C+ | C | C |
| Kippax | 10,299 | 3 | C+ | C+ | C+ | C |
Bottom Boat has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Methley
Is Methley expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £192,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £169,750, semi-detached houses £196,000 and detached houses £370,000.
How much is council tax in Methley?
Band D council tax in Methley is £2,272 for 2026–27, less than in 78% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Methley
Village in West Yorkshire, England
Methley is a built-up area of 1,196 people, in the Leeds 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
- 1,196 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Leeds
- County
- West Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000898
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.