South Elmsall’s story
3 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside South Elmsall’s built-up area.
20% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
South ElmsallWest Yorkshire
11,187 people call this town in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Dave Bevis · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
11,187
Census 2021 · Wakefield council
Median home
£160K
308 sales in 3 years
Median age
41.7
20% are 65+ · West Yorkshire 17%
Degree level
18%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
20%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
D
#89 of 91 in West Yorkshire
Is South Elmsall a good place to live?
Where it falls short is safety: police record 59.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 28.4 home and vehicle crimes. Against UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, it has more crime per resident than 97%. Health outcomes fall short of most towns: life expectancy is 76.5 for men and 79.6 for women. Fewer journeys need a car (A−): on the way to work, 20% walk, cycle or take a bus or train. Homes sell for a median £160,000, about 3.5 years of what households in the Wakefield council area earn. The overall grade lands at D, #89 of 91 in West Yorkshire. That leaves it better than 7% of UK towns. It also trails on jobs & income: the mean household earns £37,249 a year.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy and incomes, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · claimants, DWP.
What makes South Elmsall stand out
The 3 things South Elmsall does most differently from other towns.
How South Elmsall grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far South Elmsall is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD−Open →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedDOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 5% of towns in England; secondary results beat 38% of towns in EnglandC−Open →WalkabilityBetter than most of the towns comparedA−Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesB+Open →Hazard risk0.7% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History3 listed buildingsC−Open →Outdoors92% live within 400 m of a park; 9 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life0.9 local charities per 1,000 residents; 83% live within 1 km of a libraryC+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in South Elmsall.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in South Elmsall than in West Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 18% of adults
17% are under 15, below West Yorkshire’s towns (19%) and close to England’s towns (18%). Half the people of South Elmsall are older than 41.7. Retirement age and beyond: 20% of residents are 65 or older.
41.7median age
South ElmsallWest YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications31%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level18%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| South Elmsall | West Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 31% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 18% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC−
School results in South Elmsall are weaker than in 84% of towns in England
Below are two of its 5 schools, each with why it was picked. Attainment 8 at the one secondary school within 3 km averages 44.7, and just over two in five pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. Between them, four primaries and one secondary teach 2,748 pupils in South Elmsall.
C−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 454 | D |
| Minsthorpe Community CollegeLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,609 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 5 schools →
Safety
Crime per resident in South Elmsall is higher than in 98% of UK towns
The 12 months to August 2026 brought 1,177 recorded crimes inside South Elmsall’s built-up area, and 102 reports of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 15.7 reports per 1,000, above West Yorkshire’s towns (6.8) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Violence and sexual offences were 48% of the crimes.
59.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearD−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 3% of the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual570
Damage & arson109
Shoplifting99
Public order93
Other theft92
Vehicle crime63
Burglary48
Other crime46
Anti-social102
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.
59.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
28.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
15.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
1,177
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
Bad health is more common in South Elmsall than in West Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 8.2% of residents
At the census, 24% of people here had a disability, above both West Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Asked at the census, 76% of residents of South Elmsall said they were in good or very good health. The nearest A&E to South Elmsall is Doncaster Royal Infirmary, 8.7 miles away. One GP practice serves the town; just over four in five patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
76%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | South Elmsall | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.2% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 18% | 17% |
76.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
79.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More of the land in South Elmsall is conservation area than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 100%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Every one of South Elmsall’s 3 listed buildings sits at Grade II, the most common listing. 20% of homes were built before 1919.
3listed buildingsC−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II3
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
20%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
3
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
More people aged 16 to 64 in South Elmsall claim unemployment benefits than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 3.4%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 14% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For every resident in work, South Elmsall has 1.9 jobs. About 37% of its commuters stay in South Elmsall for work. The census counted 14% of workers working mainly from home. The car took 76% of commuters, above both West Yorkshire’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%).
20%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving76%
On foot14%
Bus2%
Train2%
Bicycle1%
14%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£37K
mean household income, before tax
3.4%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A−
Walkability: more walkable than 78% 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 B+
More households in South Elmsall live in social housing than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 24%
Owners make up 56% of households, below West Yorkshire’s towns (61%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. The £160,000 median rests on 308 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026). Private rents average £806 a month across the Wakefield council area.
£160Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
South Elmsall£160K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £258,000 | 59 |
| Semi-detached | £170,000 | 121 |
| Terraced | £115,000 | 123 |
| Flat or maisonette | £67,000 | 5 |
56%
of households own their home · England 61%
19%
rent privately · England 21%
£806
average private rent a month, Wakefield council area
£2,474
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Elmsall
14pages on South Elmsall
The big questions
SafetyD−59.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £160K · rent £806 a monthHousing92 sold in 12 months · busiest street Westfield LaneSchoolsC−5 state schoolsHealthDLife expectancy 76.5 (men), 79.6 (women)Work & commuteD54% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+0.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
South Elmsall’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
South KirkbyUptonHemsworthThurnscoeGreat HoughtonBrierleyGrimethorpeSouth Elmsall
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Elmsall | 11,187 | — | D | B+ | D− | D |
| South Kirkby | 8,880 | 1.4 | D− | B | D− | D− |
| Upton | 6,332 | 1.7 | D | B+ | D | C− |
| Hemsworth | 9,177 | 2.8 | D | B | D− | D |
| Thurnscoe | 9,133 | 3.5 | D− | B+ | D | D− |
| Great Houghton | 2,489 | 3.7 | — | B+ | D | D− |
| Brierley | 2,714 | 3.7 | C− | B− | C+ | D− |
| Grimethorpe | 5,065 | 3.8 | C− | A− | D− | D− |
Great Houghton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about South Elmsall
Are schools in South Elmsall good?
GCSE results trail 62% of towns in England, and primary results trail 95% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2).
Is South Elmsall expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £160,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £67,000, terraced houses £115,000, semi-detached houses £170,000 and detached houses £258,000.
About South Elmsall
Town in West Yorkshire, England
South Elmsall is a built-up area of 11,187 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
- 11,187 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wakefield
- County
- West Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi (3.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001088
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.