Living in Westhoughton

At the end of 2021, Westhoughton had a population of 21,960. For Westhoughton, the regional median gross salary was €3,006 per month at the end of 2024. The city faced an unemployment rate of 2.9% at the end of 2023.

Last checked 2026-09-2426 sources

Population21,960people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics

Median gross salary (region)3,006EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Average rent1,044EUR/month31 Aug 2026District figureOfficial source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price

Unemployment rate2.9%31 Dec 2023Regional figureOfficial source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Recorded crime9,797incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)

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

Lower unemployment than 76% 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 Westhoughton?

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 Westhoughton.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Westhoughton. 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 150¹Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	12.87 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Three 100GB one-month data pack¹⁷Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,044 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price¹³Official · county

Is Westhoughton 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 36–58%

Skilled employee57%strong on work, weak on safety · range 47–67%

Student35%strong on education, weak on safety · range 25–45%

Family54%strong on family, weak on cost · range 43–65%

Retirement35%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 21–49%

Work and income

Employment rates for Westhoughton measured 60.1% at the end of 2021. Westhoughton's working population was 10,815 at the end of 2021.

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Westhoughton is 2.9%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

652

263

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Westhoughton 2.9%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	60.1 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁶Official
Median gross salary (regional)	3,006 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics (ONS)⁸Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	2.9 %	31 Dec 2023	Office for National Statistics (ONS)⁹Official · regional context

What does a salary buy in Westhoughton?

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

Left over each month€1,429of €2,510 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.	€2,510
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price · 2026-08-31	− €1,044
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	€1,429

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

Public employment service

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

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Primary schools	6 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)³Official
Schools	7 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)³Official

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; Westhoughton's school authority applies it locally.

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

Safety

How safe is Westhoughton?

Police recorded about 9,797 incidents per 100,000 (2025-26). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)¹⁶

Recorded crime across major citiesWesthoughton 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
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	9,797 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2025	Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)¹⁶Official · county

Mobility and administration

Westhoughton's nearest airport was MAN, 27 km away and offered 146 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	146 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁴Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	27 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁵Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	MAN	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁵Official

Climate and air quality

At the end of 2019, annual PM2.5 reached 9 µg/m³.

Is the air quality good in Westhoughton?

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 Agency⁴

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 Westhoughton 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

Westhoughton 9.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	9 µg/m³	31 Dec 2019	European Environment Agency⁴Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 12.49 · Feb 15.1 · Mar 17.52 · Apr 21.51 · May 24.09 · Jun 25.84 · Jul 28.02 · Aug 27.51 · Sep 23.9 · Oct 23.32 · Nov 16.88 · Dec 13.03 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁵Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -6.3 · Feb -6.55 · Mar -5.59 · Apr -3.22 · May -1.05 · Jun 3.36 · Jul 6.83 · Aug 5.41 · Sep 3.11 · Oct -1.31 · Nov -3.55 · Dec -7.57 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁵Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan 3.62 · Feb 3.63 · Mar 5.1 · Apr 7.72 · May 10.85 · Jun 13.84 · Jul 15.43 · Aug 15.14 · Sep 13 · Oct 9.94 · Nov 6.53 · Dec 4.29 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁵Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

At the end of 2021, the median age reached 44 years.

How many people live in Westhoughton?

The published population was 21,960 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics⁷

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Population	21,960 people	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁷Official

International community in Westhoughton

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	20,940	95.4%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)	575	2.6%
Europe: EU countries	445	2.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹²

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher	30.8 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁶Official
Workers aged 16 and over	10,815 workers	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁶Official
Median age	44 years	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁶Official
Universities	0 count	3 Aug 2026	Office for Students¹⁰Official

Alternatives for people set on Westhoughton

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.

Macclesfield as a Westhoughton alternative in the same region

42 km away, better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Residents: 54,345 Macclesfield vs 21,960 Westhoughton+147%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 6,099 Macclesfield vs 9,797 Westhoughton−38%
Median gross pay, region: €3,320 Macclesfield vs €3,006 Westhoughton+10%
Unemployment: 2.7% Macclesfield vs 2.9% Westhoughton−7%

Full comparison More about Macclesfield

Wokingham as a Westhoughton alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 264 km, better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,921 Wokingham vs 9,797 Westhoughton−60%
Residents: 50,325 Wokingham vs 21,960 Westhoughton+129%
Median gross pay, region: €3,866 Wokingham vs €3,006 Westhoughton+29%
Unemployment: 2.6% Wokingham vs 2.9% Westhoughton−10%

Full comparison More about Wokingham

Cities near Westhoughton

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

Manchester Commuting Zone · 21.5 km away

Salary: 3,555 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

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

All United Kingdom cities

Abbots Langley21,968 residents Biggleswade21,950 residents Plumstead21,972 residents Coalville21,980 residents Normanton (Wakefield)21,980 residents Crowborough21,990 residents

How does Westhoughton compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Westhoughton 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.

Is Westhoughton part of Manchester?

Westhoughton is in the published commuting zone of Manchester; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Manchester city profile

Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source¹⁸

Put Westhoughton'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 Westhoughton?

The published population was 21,960 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Westhoughton?

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 Westhoughton?

What is the typical salary around Westhoughton?

The median gross salary is 3,006 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Westhoughton a good place to live?

Westhoughton 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.

Is Westhoughton part of Manchester?

Westhoughton is in the published commuting zone of Manchester; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.

Which cities are near Westhoughton?

Manchester, Hindley, Atherton, Horwich, Platt Bridge and Abram are near Westhoughton. 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 Westhoughton?

The official country of birth distribution records 20,940 people (95.4%) 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). Westhoughton, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 8cc4e5c92d9d3e91925de426ba47177d]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/westhoughton/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_westhoughton-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_dc079623f402,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Westhoughton, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {8cc4e5c92d9d3e91925de426ba47177d},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/westhoughton/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Westhoughton, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/westhoughton/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 8cc4e5c92d9d3e91925de426ba47177d; 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

BT Full Fibre 150 bt.com · checked 2026-09-15
Coordinate identity evidence services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-06
Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
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) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03

Show 16 more sources

ONS ASHE workplace analysis — exact city gross salary ONS ASHE workplace analysis · nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-05
ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-24
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-24
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
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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