GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Doncaster vs Wakefield: which is the better place to live?
Is Doncaster or Wakefield a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Doncaster and Wakefield across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Doncaster wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 81/100 versus 80.9/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Doncaster | Wakefield | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 81/100 | 80.9/100 | Doncaster |
| Better value | 71.4 | 67.2 | Doncaster |
| For families | 93.5 | 85.7 | Doncaster |
| For commuters | 71.8 | 81.8 | Wakefield |
| For healthcare access | 77 | 86.9 | Wakefield |
| Avg house price | £173,624 | £196,895 | Doncaster (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,168 | £2,297 | Doncaster (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.5% | 83.6% | Doncaster |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.1 | 110 | Doncaster (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 89.7% | 94.6% | Wakefield |
| Gera GP Access score | 77 | 86.9 | Wakefield |
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Doncaster wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 81/100 vs 80.9/100.
| Verdict | Doncaster | Wakefield | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81 | 80.9 | Doncaster (+0.1) |
| Better value | 71.4 | 67.2 | Doncaster (+4.2) |
| For families | 93.5 | 85.7 | Doncaster (+7.8) |
| For commuters | 71.8 | 81.8 | Wakefield (+10) |
| For healthcare access | 77 | 86.9 | Wakefield (+9.9) |
| Measure | Doncaster | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £173,624 | £196,895 |
| Band D council tax | £2,168 | £2,297 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.5% | 83.6% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 101.1 | 110 |
| Gigabit broadband | 89.7% | 94.6% |
| Gera GP Access score | 77 | 86.9 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Doncaster or Wakefield a better place to live overall?
- Doncaster scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 81/100 versus 80.9/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.1 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Doncaster or Wakefield?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Doncaster is better value. Average house prices are £173,624 in Doncaster and £196,895 in Wakefield; Band D council tax is £2,168 versus £2,297 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Doncaster or Wakefield better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Doncaster comes out ahead for families. Doncaster has 95.5% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 101.1 per 1,000; Wakefield has 83.6% and 110 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Doncaster or Wakefield?
- For connectivity, Doncaster has 89.7% gigabit-capable premises and Wakefield has 94.6% (Ofcom, June 2026). Wakefield leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Doncaster or Wakefield?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Doncaster scores 77 (South Yorkshire ICB) and Wakefield scores 86.9 (West Yorkshire ICB). Wakefield has the better GP access (NHS England, June 2026).
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Contains public sector information published by GeraRent and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Gera Liveability Index — joined UK government open data (June 2026, published 2026-06-19).