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Living in Rochdale

Rochdale is one of the cities recorded in the United Kingdom. Its population was 111,255 at the end of 2021. For Rochdale, the regional median gross salary was €2,987 per month at the end of 2024. Rochdale's unemployment stood at 5.31% at the end of 2018.

Higher unemployment than 90% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to Rochdale?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Rochdale.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Rochdale yet. United Kingdom has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Rent price index, mean988.4 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics12Official

Work and income

At the end of 2021, the employment rate stood at 50.8%. Rochdale had 43,195 at the end of 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Rochdale?

The unemployment rate is about 5.3 % (2018).

  • Unemployment rate: 5.31 % · Eurostat3
Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Rochdale is 5.3%. Of 1,007 cities with data, 657 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United Kingdom per band24 cities: 0% to under 2%240–2657 cities: 2% to under 4%6572–4265 cities: 4% to under 6%2654–6Rochdale 5.3%49 cities: 6% to under 8%496–87 cities: 8% to under 10%78–104 cities: 10% to under 12%410–121 city: 16% to under 18%116–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate50.8 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,987 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)7Official · regional context
Unemployment rate5.31 %country median 3.4%31 Dec 2018Eurostat3Official
Unemployment rate over time7 published observations, 2004–2018
Unemployment rate in Rochdale by year, %3.9%6.8%9.7%12.6%20042011201620185.3%%

Unemployment rate rose 19.1% between 2004 and 2018, from 4.5% to 5.3%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Rochdale. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Rochdale. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count41 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official
School Count64 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official

Mobility and administration

Rochdale's nearest airport was MAN, 31 km away and offered 146 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count146 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights10Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km31 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports11Official
Nearest Major Airport IataMAN3 Aug 2026OurAirports11Official

Climate and air quality

At the end of 2019, annual PM2.5 reached 12 µg/m³.

Is the air quality good in Rochdale?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency2

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Rochdale annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52512.0PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomOf 864 cities with data, 448 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United Kingdom per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–428 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³284–5203 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³2035–6448 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³4486–7174 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³1747–88 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³88–91 city: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³19–101 city: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³113–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean12 µg/m³31 Dec 2019European Environment Agency2Official · nearest-station reading
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 12.43 · Feb 15.6 · Mar 18.09 · Apr 21.75 · May 24.5 · Jun 26.33 · Jul 29.73 · Aug 27.76 · Sep 25.31 · Oct 23.98 · Nov 16.95 · Dec 12.85 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official · coordinate grid
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -7.03 · Feb -8.37 · Mar -6.49 · Apr -3.63 · May -1.48 · Jun 2.39 · Jul 5.25 · Aug 4.6 · Sep 2.11 · Oct -2.66 · Nov -4.06 · Dec -7.92 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by monthJan 3.04 · Feb 3.11 · Mar 4.7 · Apr 7.4 · May 10.54 · Jun 13.58 · Jul 15.26 · Aug 14.91 · Sep 12.59 · Oct 9.47 · Nov 5.93 · Dec 3.65 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official · coordinate grid

Cities of a similar size in United Kingdom

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United Kingdom cities
Worthing111,620 residentsOldham110,720 residentsChelmsford110,625 residentsBirkenhead109,835 residentsMaidstone109,490 residentsGillingham (Medway)108,480 residents

Population and city profile

Median age stood at 36 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Rochdale?

The published population was 111,255 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics6

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population111,255 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official

International community in Rochdale

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom86,42577.7%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)19,51017.5%
Europe: EU countries5,3154.8%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9

Is Rochdale a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker49%strong on work, weak on safety · range 39–59%
Skilled employee60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 51–69%
Student46%strong on education, weak on safety · range 37–55%
Family65%strong on family, weak on safety · range 55–75%
Retirement56%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 43–69%
Population111,255 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Rent price index, mean988.4 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Official source · Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics
Employment rate50.8 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary (regional)2,987 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Unemployment rate5.31 %31 Dec 2018Official source · Eurostat
PM2.5 — annual mean12 µg/m³31 Dec 2019Official source · European Environment Agency
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-14

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct26.9 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus43,195 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Median age36 years31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Universities0 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students8Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Rochdale under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

How does Rochdale compare?

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Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Rochdale?

The published population was 111,255 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Rochdale?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 12 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.

What is the unemployment rate in Rochdale?

The unemployment rate is about 5.3 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Rochdale?

The median gross salary is 2,987 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Rochdale a good place to live?

Rochdale may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Europe: EU countries live in Rochdale?

The official country of birth distribution records 5,315 people (4.8%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Rochdale, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/rochdale/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_rochdale-united-kingdom-rent-salary-jobs-air-quality_563b8bb955fc,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Rochdale, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/rochdale/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Rochdale, United Kingdom: rent, salary, jobs, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/rochdale/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  2. European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  3. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  4. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  5. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  6. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  7. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  8. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  9. ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
  10. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
Show 2 more sources
  1. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  2. Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-12

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