Living in Barnsley, UK – What to Know Before Moving

Best places to live in Barnsley

The following areas are considered a few of the better places to live in Barnsley.

Barugh Green (postcode district: S75)

A village located northwest of Barnsley. Largely consists of houses or bungalows with up to 60% of people aged 16 years and over in employment according to the last census report. 70% of properties in the area have 3 or 4 bedrooms. This area is well-suited for families.

Cawthorne (postcode district: S75)

A village located west of Barnsley. 97% of households live in houses or bungalows (mainly 3 or 4 bedrooms). 92% of households in Cawthorne own at least one car.

Higham (postcode district: S75)

A village located northwest of Barnsley. Well-oriented for working professionals with about 70% of people working full-time.

Staincross (postcode district: S75)

A village located north of Barnsley. You may get a more diverse crowd in this area, compared to the others listed above, with 37% of adults not married and 35% married or in a registered civil partnership.

Worst places to live in Barnsley

The following are some of the places in Barnsley you may want to consider avoiding.

Athersley (postcode district: S71)

A village located north of Barnsley. About 52% of adults are economically active, which is lower than the national average of about 57%.

Wombwell (postcode district: S73)

A town located southeast of Barnsley. Only about 20% of adults living in this area have a qualification of level 4 or above. This is significantly below the national average of 34%.

Lundwood (postcode district: S71)

A town located southeast of Barnsley. 54% of adults living in this area are under employment.

Housing prices in Barnsley

The following is based on data from the UK House Price Index (August 2023).

Detached properties

The average price of a detached property was £269K (+39% vs. 5 years ago).

Semi-detached properties

The average price of a semi-detached property was £164K (+36% vs. 5 years ago).

Terraced properties

The average price of a terraced property was £130K (+34% vs. 5 years ago).

Flats and apartments

The average price of a flat was £93.5K (22% vs. 5 years ago).

Public Transportation & Commuting

Bus access

The public network in Barnsley is run by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE). It’s possible to live in Barnsley without a car with over 30 bus routes covering various parts of the city. Discounted bus travel passes are available for students, seniors, and other eligible groups.

Train access

Barnsley train station is primarily served by Northern Trains. Barnsley residents can easily travel to larger cities, such as Nottingham and Sheffield, by train. It takes about 2 hours 40 minutes to get to London (with at least 1 or 2 changes).

Closest airports to Barnsley

Leeds Bradford Airport is the closest airport to Barnsley. It’s a small regional airport that gives you access to many cities across Europe, including Spain, France, and Italy. During morning rush hour, it may take around 1 hour 48 minutes to travel from Barnsley to Leeds Bradford Airport by public transport or 55 minutes if traveling by car. This might not make Barnsley the best place to live for frequent work travelers. The next closest airport is Manchester Airport, which takes about 1 hour 53 minutes by public transport or 1 hour 15 minutes by car.

Schools

Primary schools

There are plenty of primary schools with an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. Popular primary schools in Barnsley include Birkwood Primary School, Stocksbridge Junior School, Cherry Dale Primary School, and Thurlstone Primary School.

Secondary schools

There, unfortunately, aren’t as many secondary schools for parents to consider. There were no secondary schools in Barnsley with an Ofsted rating of outstanding at the time this was written. The most popular choices of secondary schools in Barnsley include Outwood Academy Shafton, Barnsley Academy, and Penistone Grammar School.