Kirklees: population and statistics
Kirklees has a population of 445,832 (2025) across 408.6 km², or 1,091 people per km². It ranks 16 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +3.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 445,832 residents
- 408.6 km²
- 1,091 people/km²
Kirklees in numbers
Population of Kirklees over time
Kirklees had 431,110 residents in 2015 and 445,832 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 432,878 |
| 2021 | 433,458 |
| 2022 | 438,007 |
| 2023 | 442,743 |
| 2024 | 445,780 |
| 2025 | 445,832 |
All indicators for Kirklees
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Kirklees | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 18.5% | 19.7% | 20.4% | ranked 241 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 19.4% | 18.0% | 17.4% | ranked 68 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kirklees | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 193,670 dwellings | 2,563,580 | 27,429,300 | ranked 14 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 41.5% | 36.9% | 31.6% | ranked 71 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 14.9% | 17.3% | 18.1% | ranked 230 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 177,989 households | 193,754 | 61,440 | ranked 14 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 87.3% | 85.3% | 84.7% | ranked 123 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 12.6% | 14.5% | 14.8% | ranked 186 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 65.9% | 63.1% | 67.3% | ranked 182 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 19.1% | 19.5% | 17.6% | ranked 114 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 14.8% | 17.3% | 14.3% | ranked 142 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £208,987 | £212,777 | £272,474 | ranked 273 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 6.1% | 3.6% | 2.2% | ranked 38 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kirklees | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 2.0% | 1.5% | 1.2% | ranked 51 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 80.8% | 77.6% | 76.7% | ranked 73 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 5.2% | 6.5% | 7.8% | ranked 250 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 0.4% | 2.2% | 0.9% | ranked 190 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kirklees | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 17,700 sites | 229,245 | 3,232,440 | ranked 30 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 39.7 per 1,000 | 40.4 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 240 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 15,715 businesses | 194,060 | 2,786,975 | ranked 30 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £35,867 | £35,917 | £38,490 | ranked 259 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Kirklees | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 70.7% | 73.4% | 76.3% | ranked 294 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 4.7% | 4.1% | 3.2% | ranked 55 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kirklees | Yorkshire and The Humber | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 22.7% | 24.3% | 18.5% | ranked 102 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 15 local authorities in Yorkshire and The Humber, Kirklees ranks 5 by population.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 21.0% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)”: higher than in 96% of local authorities.
- “Business sites (local units)”: higher than in 92% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 57,220 football pitches.
- 3.8 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Calderdale, 18.0 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Leeds (840,550 residents), 28 km away.
Business sectors: Kirklees
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade21.0% ×1.3
- Construction11.8% ×0.9
- Professional, scientific and technical11.4% ×0.8
- Manufacturing7.9% ×1.8
- Health and social work7.7% ×1.4
- Administrative and support services7.3% ×0.9
- Accommodation and food services7.2% ×1.0
- Transport and storage4.6% ×1.1
Where is Kirklees?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kirklees?
Kirklees has 445,832 residents (2025), ranking 16 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Kirklees?
Kirklees covers 408.6 km², with a density of 1,091 people per km².
Is the population of Kirklees growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kirklees went from 431,110 to 445,832, a change of +3.4%.
Where is Kirklees?
Kirklees is in Yorkshire and The Humber (region). Latitude 53.593, longitude −1.801.
Dwellings (Council Tax stock): what is the figure for Kirklees?
In Kirklees, “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)” stands at 193,670 dwellings (2026), ranking 14 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 67,955 dwellings.
Business sites (local units): what is the figure for Kirklees?
In Kirklees, “Business sites (local units)” stands at 17,700 sites (2026), ranking 30 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 6,830 sites.
Which local authorities border Kirklees?
The nearest to Kirklees are Calderdale (18 km), Oldham (22 km), Wakefield (22 km), Bradford (22 km), Tameside (23 km).