Barnsley

Affordable living meets high deprivation in Barnsley. While the area offers one of the more accessible housing markets in Yorkshire and The Humber, with a median house price of £180,000 and a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.7x, these figures reflect a broader economic struggle. Rent is particularly low, consuming only 20.9% of median gross pay, yet the local deprivation score of 29.93 is higher than 88% of authorities across England. Weekly earnings of £741.50 sit above the regional median, providing some relief against the cost of living. The most compelling reason to settle here is the education system, as 98.6% of pupils attend schools rated Good or Outstanding, the highest proportion in the region. This location suits families prioritising school quality and low housing costs over local economic prosperity.

Written from the indicators on this page, 2026-10 data.

Colour shows quintile position against 361 UK Local Authorities. Green is the best position for someone moving here; red is the worst. Direction is set per indicator — higher pay, lower rent, less crime, less deprivation are all green.

Barnsley head-to-heads