GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Milton Keynes vs Wakefield: which is the better place to live?
Is Milton Keynes or Wakefield a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Milton Keynes and Wakefield across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Wakefield wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 80.9/100 versus 80.8/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Milton Keynes | Wakefield | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 80.8/100 | 80.9/100 | Wakefield |
| Better value | 59.1 | 67.2 | Wakefield |
| For families | 96.3 | 85.7 | Milton Keynes |
| For commuters | 81.2 | 81.8 | Wakefield |
| For healthcare access | 72.2 | 86.9 | Wakefield |
| Avg house price | £318,038 | £196,895 | Wakefield (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,372 | £2,297 | Wakefield (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.3% | 83.6% | Milton Keynes |
| Crime per 1,000 | 64.1 | 110 | Milton Keynes (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 95% | 94.6% | Milton Keynes |
| Gera GP Access score | 72.2 | 86.9 | Wakefield |
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Wakefield wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 80.9/100 vs 80.8/100.
| Verdict | Milton Keynes | Wakefield | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 80.8 | 80.9 | Wakefield (+0.1) |
| Better value | 59.1 | 67.2 | Wakefield (+8.1) |
| For families | 96.3 | 85.7 | Milton Keynes (+10.6) |
| For commuters | 81.2 | 81.8 | Wakefield (+0.6) |
| For healthcare access | 72.2 | 86.9 | Wakefield (+14.7) |
| Measure | Milton Keynes | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £318,038 | £196,895 |
| Band D council tax | £2,372 | £2,297 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.3% | 83.6% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 64.1 | 110 |
| Gigabit broadband | 95% | 94.6% |
| Gera GP Access score | 72.2 | 86.9 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Milton Keynes or Wakefield a better place to live overall?
- Wakefield scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 80.9/100 versus 80.8/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.1 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Milton Keynes or Wakefield?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Wakefield is better value. Average house prices are £318,038 in Milton Keynes and £196,895 in Wakefield; Band D council tax is £2,372 versus £2,297 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Milton Keynes or Wakefield better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Milton Keynes comes out ahead for families. Milton Keynes has 95.3% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 64.1 per 1,000; Wakefield has 83.6% and 110 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Milton Keynes or Wakefield?
- For connectivity, Milton Keynes has 95% 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 Milton Keynes or Wakefield?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Milton Keynes scores 72.2 (Central East 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).