GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Sunderland vs Wakefield: which is the better place to live?
Is Sunderland or Wakefield a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Sunderland and Wakefield across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Wakefield wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 80.9/100 versus 78.8/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Sunderland | Wakefield | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 78.8/100 | 80.9/100 | Wakefield |
| Better value | 72.2 | 67.2 | Sunderland |
| For families | 94.5 | 85.7 | Sunderland |
| For commuters | 59.7 | 81.8 | Wakefield |
| For healthcare access | 75 | 86.9 | Wakefield |
| Avg house price | £145,293 | £196,895 | Sunderland (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,197 | £2,297 | Sunderland (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.7% | 83.6% | Sunderland |
| Crime per 1,000 | 90.6 | 110 | Sunderland (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 91.9% | 94.6% | Wakefield |
| Gera GP Access score | 75 | 86.9 | Wakefield |
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Wakefield wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 80.9/100 vs 78.8/100.
| Verdict | Sunderland | Wakefield | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 78.8 | 80.9 | Wakefield (+2.1) |
| Better value | 72.2 | 67.2 | Sunderland (+5) |
| For families | 94.5 | 85.7 | Sunderland (+8.8) |
| For commuters | 59.7 | 81.8 | Wakefield (+22.1) |
| For healthcare access | 75 | 86.9 | Wakefield (+11.9) |
| Measure | Sunderland | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £145,293 | £196,895 |
| Band D council tax | £2,197 | £2,297 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 95.7% | 83.6% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 90.6 | 110 |
| Gigabit broadband | 91.9% | 94.6% |
| Gera GP Access score | 75 | 86.9 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Sunderland or Wakefield a better place to live overall?
- Wakefield scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 80.9/100 versus 78.8/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 2.1 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Sunderland or Wakefield?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Sunderland is better value. Average house prices are £145,293 in Sunderland and £196,895 in Wakefield; Band D council tax is £2,197 versus £2,297 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Sunderland or Wakefield better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Sunderland comes out ahead for families. Sunderland has 95.7% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 90.6 per 1,000; Wakefield has 83.6% and 110 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Sunderland or Wakefield?
- For connectivity, Sunderland has 91.9% 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 Sunderland or Wakefield?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Sunderland scores 75 (North East and North Cumbria 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).