Pontefract South
vs South Elmsall & South Kirkby
South Elmsall & South Kirkby has the younger population: 18% of residents are aged 15–29, against 15% in Pontefract South. Homes in Pontefract South sold for a median of £220,000, 33% above South Elmsall & South Kirkby. South Elmsall & South Kirkby has more green space nearby (21% within 500 m, against 11%).
People
Pontefract South has 17,083 residents in 7,400 households; South Elmsall & South Kirkby has 18,860 in 8,006. Pontefract South has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 23%, 4.9 percentage points more than South Elmsall & South Kirkby (Wakefield: 19%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (29% and 30%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 49% of homes in Pontefract South and 51% in South Elmsall & South Kirkby. Pontefract South has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 67%, 10.6 percentage points more than South Elmsall & South Kirkby (Wakefield: 63%). South Elmsall & South Kirkby has the higher share of private renting: 17%, 6.9 percentage points more than Pontefract South (Wakefield: 15%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £220,000 in Pontefract South and £165,000 in South Elmsall & South Kirkby, against £205,000 across Wakefield.
Surroundings
South Elmsall & South Kirkby has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 21%, 10.3 percentage points more than Pontefract South (Wakefield: 15%). A typical postcode has 81 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Pontefract South, and 68 in South Elmsall & South Kirkby. The typical postcode is 365 m from the nearest school in Pontefract South and 390 m in South Elmsall & South Kirkby. The typical postcode is 1,161 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Pontefract South and 765 m in South Elmsall & South Kirkby. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 84% of premises in Pontefract South and 96% in South Elmsall & South Kirkby.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 79 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Pontefract South and 119 in South Elmsall & South Kirkby, against 121 across Wakefield. 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.
Pontefract South is one of 21 wards in Wakefield, home to 17,083 people in 7,400 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £220,000 over the past two years, 7% above the Wakefield median. On average 11% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 27% below the Wakefield average.
South Elmsall & South Kirkby is one of 21 wards in Wakefield, home to 18,860 people in 8,006 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £165,000 over the past two years, 20% below the Wakefield median. On average 21% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 41% above the Wakefield average.
More comparisons.
Pontefract South and South Elmsall & South Kirkby next to other wards of Wakefield.