Living in Sheffield

In Sheffield, the median gross salary is €3,606 a month (2025) and tenants pay an average rent of €1,088 a month (2026).

Residents of Sheffield numbered 500,535 at the end of 2021. Sheffield's unemployment stood at 5.14% at the end of 2018. Annual PM2.5 in the air was 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2019.

Last checked 2026-09-2330 sources

Population500,535people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics

Median gross salary3,606EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS)

Average rent1,088EUR/month31 Aug 2026Official source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority

Unemployment rate5.14%country median 3.4% — 51% aboveOfficial source · Eurostat

Recorded crime9,693offences per 100,000country median 9,646 — about the sameOfficial source · Office for National Statistics

PM2.5, annual mean9µg/m³31 Dec 2019Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency

Higher unemployment than 88% 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 Sheffield?

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 Sheffield.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Sheffield. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€24

Mobile plan, 10 GB€13

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	24.02 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	BT Full Fibre 150²Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	12.87 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Three 100GB one-month data pack²¹Official · national market
Rent price index, mean	1,088 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition²⁰Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,088 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority¹⁶Official

Is Sheffield 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 worker47%strong on work, weak on safety · range 38–56%

Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–66%

Student38%strong on education, weak on work · range 31–45%

Family49%strong on family, weak on cost · range 41–57%

Retirement32%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 21–43%

Work and income

Sheffield's employment rate reached 52.7% at the end of 2021. At the end of 2021, 215,775 comprised the workforce in Sheffield.

What is the typical salary in Sheffield?

The median gross salary is about 3,606 EUR/month (2025). Source: Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS)¹

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

What is the unemployment rate in Sheffield?

The unemployment rate is about 5.1 % (2018).

Unemployment rate: 5.14 % · Eurostat⁸

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Sheffield is 5.1%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

652

263

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Sheffield 5.1%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	52.7 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹²Official
Median gross salary	3,606 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS)¹Official
Unemployment rate	5.14 %country median 3.4%	31 Dec 2018	Eurostat⁸Official

Unemployment rate over time11 published observations, 1991–2018

4.5%

7.4%

10.3%

13.1%

5.1%199120012008201120162018

Unemployment rate fell 59.0% between 1991 and 2018, from 12.5% to 5.1%.

What does a salary buy in Sheffield?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,817of €2,942 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,942
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority · 2026-08-31	− €1,088
Internet€24 · official · BT Full Fibre 150 · 2026-09-30	− €24
Mobile plan€13 · official · Three 100GB one-month data pack · 2026-09-30	− €13
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€1,817

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Sheffield Salary needed to live in Sheffield

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Sheffield. 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 Sheffield. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	1 count	31 Jul 2026	English Language (ESOL) pre-course assessment event - Sheffield City Council Lifelong Learning & Skills⁶Official
Primary schools	165 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)⁵Official
Schools	233 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)⁵Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Sheffield's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
GP practices	130 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)¹⁰Official
Pharmacies	138 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary)¹¹Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sheffield 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.

Safety

How safe is Sheffield?

Police recorded about 9,693 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 9,693 offences per 100,000 · Office for National Statistics¹⁴

Recorded crime across major citiesSheffield highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267

Bristol13,099

Liverpool12,409

Leeds11,462

Birmingham11,416

Leicester11,001

Sheffield9,693

Cardiff9,379

Belfast9,156

Coventry8,836

Glasgow757

Edinburgh549

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Burglaries per 100,000 residents	528.4 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2026	PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)¹⁹Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	9,693 offences per 100,000country median 9,646 — about the same	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics¹⁴Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents	3,436 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2026	PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population)¹⁹Official

Mobility and administration

Sheffield's nearest airport was MAN, 54 km away and offered 146 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	146 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁷Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	54 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁸Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	MAN	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁸Official

Climate and air quality

Sheffield's monthly mean temperatures were 3.4°C in January and 16.2°C in July.

Is the air quality good in Sheffield?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency⁷

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

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.59WHO 5 · EU 25

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

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Sheffield is 9.0 µg/m³. Of 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

211

487

200

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Sheffield 9.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	9 µg/m³	31 Dec 2019	European Environment Agency⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 13.23 · Feb 16.78 · Mar 19.81 · Apr 23.29 · May 24.88 · Jun 27.96 · Jul 31.26 · Aug 28.69 · Sep 26.65 · Oct 25.73 · Nov 18.05 · Dec 13.8 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁹Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -6.21 · Feb -8.69 · Mar -4.66 · Apr -3.21 · May -0.84 · Jun 2.94 · Jul 5.38 · Aug 4.56 · Sep 2.77 · Oct -2.23 · Nov -4.23 · Dec -8.75 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁹Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan 3.42 · Feb 3.61 · Mar 5.37 · Apr 8.11 · May 11.27 · Jun 14.35 · Jul 16.17 · Aug 15.81 · Sep 13.33 · Oct 10.08 · Nov 6.36 · Dec 3.94 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁹Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

Sheffield had a median age of 36 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Sheffield?

The published population was 500,535 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics¹³

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport83.8%
Foreign residents16.2%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Foreign-resident share	16.21 %	31 Dec 2021	Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d³Official
Foreign residents	81,160 people	31 Dec 2021	Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d³Official
Population	500,535 people	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹³Official

International community in Sheffield

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 group	People	Share
Europe: United Kingdom	419,370	83.8%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)	59,100	11.8%
Europe: EU countries	22,060	4.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher	33.9 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹²Official
Workers aged 16 and over	215,775 workers	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹²Official
Median age	36 years	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics¹²Official
Universities	2 count	3 Aug 2026	Office for Students¹⁵Official

Alternatives for people set on Sheffield

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Leeds as a Sheffield alternative in the same region

47 km away, better on 2 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

Unemployment: 3.3% Leeds vs 5.1% Sheffield−37%
Annual PM2.5: 12.0 µg/m³ Leeds vs 9.0 µg/m³ Sheffield+33%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 11,462 Leeds vs 9,693 Sheffield+18%
Foreign residents: 21.0% Leeds vs 16.2% Sheffield+29%
Median gross pay, city: €3,679 Leeds vs €3,606 Sheffieldsame level
Residents: 536,280 Leeds vs 500,535 Sheffield+7%

Full comparison More about Leeds

Coventry as a Sheffield alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 107 km, better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Foreign residents: 28.2% Coventry vs 16.2% Sheffield+74%
Median gross pay, city: €4,015 Coventry vs €3,606 Sheffield+11%
Residents: 344,285 Coventry vs 500,535 Sheffield−31%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,836 Coventry vs 9,693 Sheffield−9%
Annual PM2.5: 10.0 µg/m³ Coventry vs 9.0 µg/m³ Sheffield+11%
Unemployment: 5.0% Coventry vs 5.1% Sheffield−3%

Full comparison More about Coventry

Cities near Sheffield

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Sheffield, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities

Liverpool506,565 residents Edinburgh488,050 residents Manchester470,405 residents Leeds536,280 residents Bristol425,215 residents Croydon407,821 residents

How does Sheffield compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Sheffield's.

Open the full comparison

Sheffield in rankings

#5 of 30 in Largest cities in United Kingdom #16 of 30 in Highest salary cities in United Kingdom #17 of 21 in Most international cities in United Kingdom

Put Sheffield's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

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

How many people live in Sheffield?

The published population was 500,535 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Sheffield?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 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.

How safe is Sheffield?

Police recorded about 9,693 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Office for National Statistics.

What is the typical salary in Sheffield?

The median gross salary is about 3,606 EUR/month (2025). Source: Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS).

What is the unemployment rate in Sheffield?

The unemployment rate is about 5.1 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

How many foreign residents live in Sheffield?

81,160 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d.

Is Sheffield a good place to live?

Sheffield 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.

Which cities are near Sheffield?

Burngreave, Dronfield, Chapeltown, Rotherham, Beighton are near Sheffield. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Europe: United Kingdom live in Sheffield?

The official country of birth distribution records 419,370 people (83.8%) 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, October 16). Sheffield, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 49bdf068e4061c14a4f175acba6f9722]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/sheffield/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sheffield-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_147068fd9024,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Sheffield, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {49bdf068e4061c14a4f175acba6f9722},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/sheffield/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Sheffield, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/sheffield/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 49bdf068e4061c14a4f175acba6f9722; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

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

Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS) nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-18
BT Full Fibre 150 bt.com · checked 2026-09-15
Census 2021 (ONS): Towns and cities (characteristics of built-up areas), tables 4c/4d ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-17
Coordinate identity evidence services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-06
Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
English Language (ESOL) pre-course assessment event - Sheffield City Council Lifelong Learning & Skills lifelong-learning.sheffield.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-19
European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15

Show 20 more sources

ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-23
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
PFA tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C2 counts; Table C4 rates and mid-2024 population) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
Three 100GB one-month data pack three.co.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Travel to Work Areas (December 2011) full extent boundaries in the United Kingdom services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-19
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q2113023 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05

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