Middlestown and Overton’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Middlestown and Overton’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Middlestown and OvertonWest Yorkshire
A village of 2,409 in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Humphrey Bolton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,409
Census 2021 · Wakefield council
Median home
£228K
85 sales in 3 years
Median age
49
26% are 65+ · West Yorkshire 17%
Degree level
26%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Middlestown and Overton a good place to live?
Middlestown and Overton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is walkability (D): 9% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £227,500 in the last three years, 5 times what households in the Wakefield council area earn in a year.
What makes Middlestown and Overton stand out
The 3 things Middlestown and Overton does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
26% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
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.
How Middlestown and Overton grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Middlestown and Overton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskAOpen →WalkabilityDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 75% of towns in England; secondary results beat 69% of towns in EnglandA−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £49,500C−Open →HealthLife expectancy 81.8 for men, 82.7 for womenC+Open →Safety27.1 violent and sexual offences and 9.1 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026C+Open →Cost of livingrent £806 a monthB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildings; 20% of homes built before 1919C−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 1.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB−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 Middlestown and Overton.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Fewer commuters in Middlestown and Overton work nearby than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 23% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 27% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Middlestown and Overton, that is below both West Yorkshire’s towns (46%) and England’s towns (45%). 89% of commuters drove to work at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot5%
Bus2%
Train1%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
27%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£50K
mean household income, before tax
4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 15% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsA−
Results at Middlestown and Overton’s schools beat 77% of towns in England
Middlestown Primary Academy’s results beat 90% of schools in England like it. Its one school is below.
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlestown Primary AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 217 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Who lives here
Older residents shape Middlestown and Overton: 26% are 65 or over, above West Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Middlestown and Overton sits above both West Yorkshire’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. 15% of residents are children under 15. Middlestown and Overton has a median age of 49.
49median age
Middlestown and OvertonWest YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
26%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level26%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Middlestown and Overton | West Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.6% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 26% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.5% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 26% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
History
Much of Middlestown and Overton is a conservation area: 100% of its land, more than West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of Middlestown and Overton’s land, 100% lies in conservation areas, above both West Yorkshire’s towns (48%) and England’s towns (7%). Middlestown and Overton has 2 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
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
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
8
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
80% of residents say their health is good or very good
80% of Middlestown and Overton’s residents described their health as good or very good in 2021, against 81% across West Yorkshire’s towns. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
80%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Middlestown and Overton | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.2% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
81.8
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Safety
Middlestown and Overton has more crime per resident than 58% of UK towns
Police recorded 119 crimes inside Middlestown and Overton’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 19 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 50% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking, so it runs higher than U.S. “violent crime”.
27.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 23% 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 & sexual60
Damage & arson15
Public order11
Vehicle crime10
Other crime6
Other theft5
Burglary4
Drugs4
Anti-social19
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.
27.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
8.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
119
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
Few households rent privately in Middlestown and Overton: 13%, fewer than in West Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
That puts Middlestown and Overton below both West Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). 68% of households own their home.
£228Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Middlestown and Overton£228K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £333,100 | 30 |
| Semi-detached | £215,000 | 34 |
| Terraced | £160,000 | 16 |
| Flat or maisonette | £139,950 | 5 |
68%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£806
average private rent a month, Wakefield council area
£2,320
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Yorkshire Sculpture Park and 2 more in and around Middlestown and Overton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Middlestown and Overton. Best known first.
MuseumYorkshire Sculpture Park3.9 km outside town, to the southeast · 300K visitors a year
MuseumNational Coal Mining Museum100 m outside town, to the southwest
MuseumDewsbury Bus Museum4.6 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Yorkshire Sculpture Park: Nigel Homer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Coal Mining Museum: Ian M, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dewsbury Bus Museum: 24 Barnsley Road, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Middlestown and Overton
15pages on Middlestown and Overton
The big questions
SafetyC+27.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £228K · rent £806 a monthHousing17 sold in 12 months · busiest street Old RoadSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthC+Life expectancy 81.8 (men), 82.7 (women)Work & commuteC−45% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Middlestown and Overton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Netherton (Wakefield)FlocktonHorburyOssettGrange MoorEmleyDewsburyMiddlestown and Overton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlestown and Overton | 2,409 | — | — | B− | C+ | C+ |
| Netherton (Wakefield) | 2,331 | 0.9 | — | B− | B+ | B− |
| Flockton | 1,732 | 1.8 | — | B | B− | B− |
| Horbury | 9,868 | 2.1 | B− | B+ | D | C |
| Ossett | 21,854 | 2.4 | B | B+ | C | C |
| Grange Moor | 1,118 | 2.7 | — | B+ | B+ | B |
| Emley | 1,433 | 2.7 | — | C+ | B+ | C+ |
| Dewsbury | 63,730 | 2.9 | C− | A | D− | D |
Netherton (Wakefield), Flockton, Grange Moor and Emley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Middlestown and Overton
Are schools in Middlestown and Overton good?
Primary schools stand out: Key Stage 2 results beat 75% of towns in England. Secondary results beat 69%. One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Wakefield council.
About Middlestown and Overton
Village in West Yorkshire, England
Middlestown and Overton is a built-up area of 2,409 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
- Population
- 2,409 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wakefield
- County
- West Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001011
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.