BradfordCountsBradford, in numbers.Local help →Bradford · England
Bradford council area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats drawn from the available evidence. These are analytical judgements, not an official council assessment. Where a national comparison is available, lower housing costs, lower reported poor health and higher qualification shares are treated as relative strengths; this does not prove affordability or service quality.
strength
Average private rent is £745 a month (August 2026) in Bradford council area. This is £714 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.3% in Wharfedale to 53% in City — a gap of 42.7 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
What could help →weakness
5.9% of people reported bad or very bad health in Bradford council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.4% in Wharfedale to 7.6% in Holme Wood & Bierley — a gap of 4.2 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
What could help →opportunity
City Village’s detailed first phase has planning approval with conditions; affordable provision in later phases depends on funding and viability.
Proposed response: Track the committed first phase separately from the much larger outline ambition.
What could help →opportunity
Better Homes Bradford offers practical energy improvements in qualifying private homes.
Proposed response: Make the eligibility, survey and installation journey clear and check work quality after completion.
What could help →opportunity
15.2% of people in Bradford council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 6.6% in City to 32.4% in Ilkley & Addingham — a gap of 25.9 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
What could help →opportunity
27.4% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Bradford council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10.2% in Ilkley & Addingham to 36.7% in Bradford Moor — a gap of 26.5 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
What could help →opportunity
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Bradford council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
What could help →opportunity
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
What could help →opportunity
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 9.1% in Ilkley & Addingham to 38.4% in Manningham — a gap of 29.3 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
What could help →The evidence gathered here does not yet support a distinct finding in this category.
| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Turn City Village’s first affordable homes into deliveryBradford City Village: Planning application approved with conditions. See the dated project evidence. | Bradford Council and ECF | |
| Help eligible households reach completed, suitable upgradesBetter Homes Bradford: insulation and solar support: Eligibility-based improvement offer advertised by the council. Undated council page checked 17 October 2026. | City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and Warm Low Living | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £745 a month (August 2026) in Bradford council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.3% in Wharfedale to 53% in City — a gap of 42.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 30 of 30 current wards have comparable figures. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population15.2% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 6.6% in City to 32.4% in Ilkley & Addingham — a gap of 25.9 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 30 of 30 current wards have comparable figures. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health5.9% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.4% in Wharfedale to 7.6% in Holme Wood & Bierley — a gap of 4.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 30 of 30 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities27.4% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 10.2% in Ilkley & Addingham to 36.7% in Bradford Moor — a gap of 26.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 30 of 30 current wards have comparable figures. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Target support where disadvantages overlapHouseholds facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 9.1% in Ilkley & Addingham to 38.4% in Manningham — a gap of 29.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 30 of 30 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |