Wakefield and Rothwell combines the city of Wakefield with communities extending north toward Rothwell. Wakefield is the principal urban, commercial and transport centre, while Rothwell is a distinct town with strong links toward Leeds. The constituency includes dense residential districts, suburban neighbourhoods, former industrial land and areas of open countryside between the main centres. Major motorway, road and rail routes connect the seat with Leeds, Barnsley and the wider West Yorkshire region. Overall, the constituency brings together part of a regional city with smaller towns and suburban communities rather than one continuous town centre.
Election data comes from UK Parliament. Turnout percentage is calculated by Project Open Gov from Parliament's turnout and electorate figures.
People and place
A population and household snapshot for Wakefield and Rothwell, using validated House of Commons Library constituency datasets.
Estimated population111,069
EstimateMid-2024 estimate
Region / nationYorkshire and The Humber
Age profile
0 to 1721.6% · 23,962 people
18 to 246.8% · 7,579 people
25 to 3414.1% · 15,620 people
35 to 4920.9% · 23,215 people
50 to 6419.3% · 21,401 people
65 and over17.4% · 19,292 people
Population figures are mid-2024 estimates from the House of Commons Library. Project Open Gov calculates the estimated population shown above by summing the six published age-band counts. View population source ↗
Home ownership and renting
Housing tenure shows how households in this constituency described their home at the most recent census.
45,228 householdsCensus 2021
Home owners59.7% · 26,990 households
Private renters16.4% · 7,417 households
Social renters23.1% · 10,467 households
Other tenure0.8% · 354 households
“Other tenure” combines shared ownership and households recorded as living rent free.
Housing-tenure figures come from the most recent census: 2021 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2022 in Scotland. View housing-tenure source ↗
Household composition
A broad view of household types in this constituency. Project Open Gov uses the four broad groups supplied by the Commons Library so the presentation remains consistent across the UK.
45,227 householdsCensus 2021
One-person households31.5% · 14,263 households
Families with dependent children28.6% · 12,917 households
Other single-family households36.5% · 16,527 households
Other household types3.4% · 1,520 households
Household-composition figures come from the Commons Library constituency dataset. The source uses census data and Project Open Gov displays its broad household groups rather than attempting to harmonise the detailed categories itself. View household-composition source ↗
Disability and day-to-day activities
The source records whether day-to-day activities are limited and uses separate person-level tables for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
106,029 people in the source baseCensus 2021Source comparison: England & Wales
Day-to-day activities limited a lot8.2% · 8,657 people
Day-to-day activities limited a little10.6% · 11,282 people
Not disabled under the Equality Act81.2% · 86,090 people
Comparison note: the workbook uses different source terminology across the UK: England & Wales uses “Disabled under the Equality Act”, while Scotland and Northern Ireland use “Disabled” / “Non-disabled”. Project Open Gov therefore preserves the source categories and does not present them as one single like-for-like UK legal definition.
Disability figures come from the Commons Library constituency workbook. This profile uses the person-level tables only; the workbook also contains separate household-level disability tables which are not used here. View disability source ↗
Petitions
Open UK Government and Parliament petitions that have reached at least 10,000 signatures nationally, ranked here by the number of signatures recorded in this constituency.
Petition signatures are not a poll and do not show what the constituency as a whole thinks. A person can also sign more than one petition.
Open petitionCloses 8 December 2026
End the mandatory fortification of white flour with folic acid immediately
Signatures in this constituency188
Signatures nationally127,802
Government response published · 100,000-signature debate threshold reached
Signature counts come from the official UK Government and Parliament petitions data and may change while a petition remains open. Browse official petitions ↗
Funding and local projects
National Lottery grants awarded to organisations recorded in this parliamentary constituency since 4 July 2024.
The constituency is based on the recipient organisation recorded in the source data. The funded activity may sometimes take place across a wider area.
Grants recorded67
Total awarded£8,465,678
Most recent awards
National Lottery grantAwarded 22 June 2026
Rising Stars: Girls in Cricket
Carlton Cricket Club
£6,400
Sport England · Sport
About this award
This project aims to build sustainable, confident, and competitive girls' cricket teams by providing strong foundations through regular, free-to-attend training sessions. The club will deliver weekly sessions for girls aged 5-16 over 12 months, using the outdoor ground and indoor facilities during winter months. Funding will support travel, promotion, staff costs, equipment, facility hire and coach fees.
National Lottery grantAwarded 12 June 2026
Adaptive Exercise for people with Life-Limiting Illnesses
Wakefield Hospice
£3,278
Sport England · Sport
About this award
This project will replace the Hospice's existing Reminiscence, Rehabilitation and Interactive Therapy Activities (RITA) system. The equipment supports patients and service users enabling the nursing and physio team to provide adapted exercise to the residents and day visitors to the hospice. The equipment will be used daily, with three dementia specific sessions each week. Funding will cover the purchase and installation of the new system.
National Lottery grantAwarded 9 June 2026
Extension 2027-28: The Hepworth Wakefield Trust
The Hepworth Wakefield
£984,512
Arts Council England · Arts
About this award
Extension 2027-28: The Hepworth Wakefield Trust - Visual arts - NPO 2023-26
National Lottery grantAwarded 9 June 2026
Extension 2027-28: The Creative Art House
The Creative Art House
£236,461
Arts Council England · Arts
About this award
Extension 2027-28: The Creative Art House - Visual arts - NPO 2023-26
Source: DCMS National Lottery Grants Database. The figures shown cover awards from 4 July 2024 to 1 July 2026. View official grants data ↗
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