Upperthong’s story
9 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Upperthong’s built-up area.
28% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
UpperthongWest Yorkshire
A village of 1,094 in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Betty Longbottom · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,094
Census 2021 · Kirklees council
Median home
£360K
51 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.6
25% are 65+ · West Yorkshire 17%
Degree level
47%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Upperthong a good place to live?
Upperthong has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A+): 10.7 violent and sexual offences and 3.4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is walkability (C−): 10% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £360,000 in the last three years, 7.5 times what households in the Kirklees council area earn in a year.
What makes Upperthong stand out
The 3 things Upperthong does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 3.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
90%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 90%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How Upperthong grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Upperthong is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyA+Open →HealthLife expectancy 83.6 for men, 85.2 for womenAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 64% of towns in England; secondary results beat 96% of towns in EnglandA−Open →WalkabilityC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £58,790; 1.9% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB+Open →Cost of livingrent £782 a monthCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History28% of homes built before 1919BOpen →Outdoors65% live within 400 m of a park; 26% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeBOpen →Civic life3.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 36% live within 1 km of a libraryA−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Upperthong.
Safety
Upperthong has less crime per resident than 95% of UK towns
Burglary and damage came to 3.4 per 1,000 residents a year, below both West Yorkshire’s towns (12.7) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 16 crimes inside Upperthong’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 0 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 44% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
10.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 90% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual7
Damage & arson3
Other theft2
Public order1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Weapons1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social0
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.
10.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
3.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
0.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
16
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Disability is less common in Upperthong, 12% of residents, than in West Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Upperthong comes below both West Yorkshire’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (17%). Upperthong has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1 miles away. 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.
86%good or very good healthAHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 11%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Upperthong | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 12% | 18% | 17% |
83.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Upperthong is a driving town: 88% of commuters go by car, above West Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 43% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For Upperthong, that is above both West Yorkshire’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%). 29% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot4%
Bus3%
Bicycle1%
Train1%
29%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
43%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£59K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 21% 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
Upperthong is a town of owners: 86% of households own their home, above West Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
Upperthong sits above both West Yorkshire’s towns (61%) and England’s towns (61%) on this measure. Private renters make up 8% of households.
£360Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Upperthong£360K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £462,750 | 26 |
| Semi-detached | £252,500 | 14 |
| Terraced | £275,000 | 11 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
8%
rent privately · England 21%
£782
average private rent a month, Kirklees council area
£2,471
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
Upperthong keeps more of its old housing than West Yorkshire or England’s towns: 28% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
That puts Upperthong above both West Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (16%). Upperthong has 82 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. Upperthong has 9 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
9listed buildingsBHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II9
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
28%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
82
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
More people in Upperthong hold a degree than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 47%
On this, Upperthong is above both West Yorkshire’s towns (30%) and England’s towns (34%). Under-15s account for 15% of the population. Half the people of Upperthong are older than 50.6.
50.6median age
UpperthongWest YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications9%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level47%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Upperthong | West Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 9% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.6% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 47% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Upperthong
13pages on Upperthong
The big questions
SafetyA+10.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £360K · rent £782 a monthHousing14 sold in 12 months · busiest street Broad LaneSchoolsA−HealthALife expectancy 83.6 (men), 85.2 (women)Work & commuteB+54% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Upperthong’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HolmfirthHolmbridgeScholes (near Hade Edge)HonleyMelthamNetherton (Kirklees)ShepleyUpperthong
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upperthong | 1,094 | — | — | C | A+ | A |
| Holmfirth | 4,982 | 0.7 | A− | B− | C | A |
| Holmbridge | 1,219 | 0.9 | — | B | B− | A |
| Scholes (near Hade Edge) | 1,888 | 1.9 | — | B+ | C | A |
| Honley | 14,399 | 2.2 | A− | B− | B− | A− |
| Meltham | 8,325 | 2.4 | B− | B | C | B− |
| Netherton (Kirklees) | 3,151 | 3.1 | B− | B+ | C+ | C+ |
| Shepley | 2,515 | 4 | A | B | A | A− |
Holmbridge and Scholes (near Hade Edge) have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Upperthong
How many listed buildings are there in Upperthong?
That is 3.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Upperthong good?
Secondary schools stand out: GCSE results beat 96% of towns in England. Primary results are closer to the middle, beating 64%. Places are handled by Kirklees council.
Is Upperthong expensive to live in?
Homes cost more than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £360,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £275,000, semi-detached houses £252,500 and detached houses £462,750.
About Upperthong
Village in West Yorkshire, England
Upperthong is a built-up area of 1,094 people, in the Kirklees 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
- 1,094 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Kirklees
- County
- West Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001138
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.