Upton’s story
No listed buildings inside Upton’s built-up area
2% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
UptonWest Yorkshire
Some 6,332 people live in this town, in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Jonathan Clitheroe · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
6,332
Census 2021 · Wakefield council
Median home
£165K
233 sales in 3 years
Median age
40.3
17% are 65+ · West Yorkshire 17%
Degree level
20%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
D
#86 of 91 in West Yorkshire
Is Upton a good place to live?
Upton’s lowest grade is for safety (D): 40.7 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 17.4 home and vehicle crimes. Against UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, it has more crime per resident than 89%. The town grades D overall, better than 11% of UK towns. That places it #86 of 91 in West Yorkshire. Residents’ health trails most towns: life expectancy is 77.7 for men and 82.3 for women. Prices are modest for what you get: a typical home costs £165,000 and rent runs £806 a month.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · life expectancy, ONS.
What makes Upton stand out
The 3 things Upton 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%)
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
West Yorkshire 30%.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
40% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Upton grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Upton is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedDOpen →HealthIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 13% of towns in England; secondary results beat 38% of towns in EnglandC−Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carC−Open →Jobs & income2.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsC−Open →Cost of livingMedian sale £165,000, 3.6 years of area incomeB+Open →Hazard risk0.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB−Open →Civic life0.5 local charities per 1,000 residents; 66% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Upton.
Who lives here
Fewer people in Upton hold a degree than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 20%
Just over a tenth of the population is aged 15 to 24, lower than both West Yorkshire’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (12%). Residents of Upton have a median age of 40.3. Children are 18% of the town.
40.3median age
UptonWest YorkshireEngland
Ages · share of residents
17%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications26%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level20%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Upton | West Yorkshire | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 19% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 27% | 27% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| 65+ | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 26% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.4% | 5.7% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 17% | 17% |
| Degree level | 20% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · West Yorkshire and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC−
Upton’s schools fall behind 80% of towns in England on results
GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: just over two in five pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 44.7. Its only school is listed below. Key Stage 2 results at the 7 primary schools within 3 km: 52% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
C−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upton Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 453 | C− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
More of the land in Upton 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.
Homes from before 1919 make up 2% of the total, lower than both West Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (16%). Historic England’s list has no building inside Upton’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
2%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Upton records more crime per resident than 86% of UK towns
Violence and sexual offences were 52% of the crimes. Upton logged 442 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 56 complaints of anti-social conduct. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 12.4 reports per 1,000, above West Yorkshire’s towns (6.8) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
40.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 11% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual232
Damage & arson43
Vehicle crime32
Other theft31
Other crime24
Public order22
Drugs16
Burglary15
Anti-social56
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.
40.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
17.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
442
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 Upton than in West Yorkshire’s towns or across England’s towns: 7.2% of residents
Upton has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.8 miles away. At the census, 79% of people in Upton called their health good or very good, below both West Yorkshire’s towns (81%) and England’s towns (82%). The nearest A&E to Upton is Doncaster Royal Infirmary, 9.1 miles away.
79%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 79%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Upton | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 81% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.2% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
77.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Fewer commuters in Upton walk, cycle or take the bus or train than in West Yorkshire’s towns or England’s towns: 10%
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 17% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Average household income comes to £46K a year before tax. The car took nearly nine in ten commuters, above West Yorkshire’s towns (74%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. 35% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Work in town: 4% of resident commuters.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot5%
Bus2%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
35%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
17%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£46K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
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 B+
Upton is a town of owners: 70% of households own their home, above West Yorkshire’s towns and England’s towns
13% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up 17% of households, below both West Yorkshire’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (21%). Half of the 233 standard sales inside Upton’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £165,000.
£165Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Upton£165K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £250,000 | 53 |
| Semi-detached | £165,000 | 125 |
| Terraced | £139,000 | 54 |
70%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£806
average private rent a month, Wakefield council area
£2,402
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 Upton
14pages on Upton
The big questions
SafetyD40.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £165K · rent £806 a monthHousing67 sold in 12 months · busiest street Tom Wood Ash LaneSchoolsC−1 state schoolHealthC−Life expectancy 77.7 (men), 82.3 (women)Work & commuteC−35% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Upton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
South ElmsallSouth KirkbyAckworth Moor TopHemsworthDarringtonCampsallFitzwilliam and KinsleyUpton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upton | 6,332 | — | D | B+ | D | C− |
| South Elmsall | 11,187 | 1.7 | D | B+ | D− | D |
| South Kirkby | 8,880 | 2.7 | D− | B | D− | D− |
| Ackworth Moor Top | 6,275 | 3.3 | B | B− | C+ | A− |
| Hemsworth | 9,177 | 3.3 | D | B | D− | D |
| Darrington | 1,194 | 3.9 | — | C− | C− | A− |
| Campsall | 1,879 | 4 | — | A | C− | C− |
| Fitzwilliam and Kinsley | 4,993 | 4.2 | D− | B | D− | D− |
Darrington and Campsall have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Upton
Is Upton expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £165,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £139,000, semi-detached houses £165,000 and detached houses £250,000.
Are schools in Upton good?
GCSE results trail 62% of towns in England, and primary results trail 87% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Wakefield council.
About Upton
Town in West Yorkshire, England
Upton is a built-up area of 6,332 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
- 6,332 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Wakefield
- County
- West Yorkshire
- Region
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63001061
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.