When it comes down to the quality of life people are enjoying, there exists a good deal of variation inside the 138 different NUTS 3 statistical regions that make up England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
In order to make some sense of this diversity and identify where the best places to live are in real terms, we have created uSwitch's Best Places to Live in The UK Quality of Life Index – a ranking of all of the regions for quality of life based on analysis of new data for 2015.
As well as giving us a good picture of quality of life in each region right now, we are also able to compare this league table for 2015 with the same study done by uSwitch in 2013, and it is interesting to see how some places have moved up or down the list where their overall quality of life statistics have changed.
The Wakefield statistical region in the Yorkshire and the Humber area of England is one that has actually dropped down the table quite a lot since 2013, now coming in 86th place where it was in 31st place two years ago. This places Wakefield in the bottom half of the table for quality of life, where before it was in our top 40 best places to live.
Here are some of the stats for the statistical region of Wakefield in 2015:
Employment
Employment is fairly good in Wakefield with 72% of the population working. 45% of people in Wakefield work normal full time hours between 35 and 45 hours per week, and there are a fairly average percentage of people doing more hours than that at 22%.
Income
Incomes are slightly above average in Wakefield, with the gross weekly income per person in 2015 at £479.
House Prices
House prices in the city of Wakefield are low, though prices in the Yorkshire and the Humber area in general fall low for England. House prices in Wakefield were at an average of £125,000 in 2015.
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy in Wakefield is pretty much in line with overall UK averages at 78 for men and 82 for Wakefield's ladies.
Life expectancy is an influential factor that insurance companies use to determine life insurance premiums. You can check our advice guide on how to get a cheaper life insurance policy.
Living Costs
The cost of living is below average for the UK in Wakefield with a weekly household grocery shop costing £50. Car insurance is, however, quite expensive at £509.60, though petrol is only slightly above the average price here at 118p.
Even though, the insurance premiums are high, there are certain steps you can take to find the best car insurance deals for you.
Other Important Factors
Wakefield gives a fairly good performance on technology, with 98% of the region receiving mobile phone network signal, though broadband speeds leave something to be desired averaging at speeds of 19.7Mbps in 2015.
Use our broadband postcode checker to see which deals and what speeds are on offer in your area.
Wakefield is a place with some positives in statistical terms, like low house prices and reasonable employment, though due to negative factors in its statistics alongside these it still falls in the bottom half of our table of uSwitch's best places to live in 2015, and has fallen down the rankings a long way since 2013.
More to life than rankings
At uSwitch, we know that there is more to life than rankings, stats and figures, and our Qualify of Life Index merely highlights the vast differences in the experiences of people across the UK.
Whether you're living in the best city or the worst, millions of households in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland face financial struggles including rising energy bills and credit card debt. That's why it's more important than ever for households to assess their budgets, and uSwitch.com offers a great way to start.
Below you can find ways to save on everything from car insurance to mobile bills.
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Place to Live 2015 — Where did your region rank?
About the research
The uSwitch.com study assessed 138 local areas (NUTS3 regions) for 26 factors such as salaries, disposable household income, and the cost of essential goods including food bills, fuel costs and energy bills. The study also factored in lifestyle issues like hours of sunshine, working hours and life expectancy to ensure a full picture of the quality of life in each NUTS3 region.
For more about the study's methodology, read the full press release .