Birstall & Birkenshaw
vs Heckmondwike
Heckmondwike has the younger population: 18% of residents are aged 15–29, against 16% in Birstall & Birkenshaw. Homes in Birstall & Birkenshaw sold for a median of £200,000, 12% above Heckmondwike. Birstall & Birkenshaw has more green space nearby (15% within 500 m, against 10%).
People
Birstall & Birkenshaw has 18,685 residents in 8,097 households; Heckmondwike has 18,712 in 7,339. Birstall & Birkenshaw has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 20%, 4 percentage points more than Heckmondwike (Kirklees: 18%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (30% and 30%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 40% of homes in Birstall & Birkenshaw and 39% in Heckmondwike. Birstall & Birkenshaw has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 71%, 3 percentage points more than Heckmondwike (Kirklees: 66%). Heckmondwike has the higher share of private renting: 19%, 4.2 percentage points more than Birstall & Birkenshaw (Kirklees: 19%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £200,000 in Birstall & Birkenshaw and £179,250 in Heckmondwike, against £215,000 across Kirklees.
Surroundings
Birstall & Birkenshaw has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 15%, 5.4 percentage points more than Heckmondwike (Kirklees: 17%). A typical postcode has 52 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Birstall & Birkenshaw, and 76 in Heckmondwike. The typical postcode is 357 m from the nearest school in Birstall & Birkenshaw and 382 m in Heckmondwike. The typical postcode is 3,758 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Birstall & Birkenshaw and 3,178 m in Heckmondwike. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 96% of premises in Birstall & Birkenshaw and 97% in Heckmondwike.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 83 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Birstall & Birkenshaw and 108 in Heckmondwike, against 102 across Kirklees. Police.uk records crimes by approximate location, not by where victims or offenders live. Busy streets, shops, stations and nightlife record more. Figures are counts, not a measure of personal risk.
Sources: Census 2021 (ONS) · HM Land Registry Price Paid Data · official school registers · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Environment Agency · data.police.uk, 12 months to Aug 2026 · Ofcom Connected Nations
In brief.
Each ward in a few lines, from its own page.
Birstall & Birkenshaw is one of 23 wards in Kirklees, home to 18,685 people in 8,097 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £200,000 over the past two years, 7% below the Kirklees median. On average 15% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 11% below the Kirklees average.
Heckmondwike is one of 23 wards in Kirklees, home to 18,712 people in 7,339 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £179,250 over the past two years, 17% below the Kirklees median. On average 10% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 43% below the Kirklees average.
More comparisons.
Birstall & Birkenshaw and Heckmondwike next to other wards of Kirklees.