Calderdale overview
Calderdale is a metropolitan district within the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire. It is located to
the west of Leeds and Bradford, and to the north east of Greater Manchester. The district is one of the
smallest in England by population, but one of the largest by area.
The topography is a mix of urban and rural. Over three quarters of the population live in urban areas.
However, Census 2011 (Office for National Statistics (ONS): Census 2011) describes over four fifths
of Calderdale as rural.
For more detailed information on Calderdale, see:


Calderdale Data works
Calderdale Joint Strategy Needs Assessment
Demographic information
The main towns in Calderdale are Brighouse, Elland, Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge and
Todmorden. The headline statistics are:



The district covers 140 square miles or 36,392 hectares;
The population of Calderdale is 208,400 (ONS: 2015 Mid year population estimates);
The average number of people per hectare is 5.7 people.
The latest ONS population projection estimates that the population of Calderdale will reach 218,300
by 2024 (ONS: 2014 sub national population projection).
Population by broad age group
This is a breakdown of the population of Calderdale by gender and broad age group.
Age group
Male
Female Total
% of total
% for
for
England
Calderdale
0 to 4 years
6,800
6,400
13,200
6.3
6.3
5 to 14 years
12,500
12,400
24,900
12.0
11.6
15 to 24 years
12,000
11,500
23,500
11.3
12.4
25 to 44 years
25,600
26,500
52,100
25.0
26.6
45 to 64 years
28,700
28,800
57,500
27.6
25.3
65 to 74 years
10,300
10,900
21,200
10.1
9.7
75 to 84 years
4,900
6,500
11,400
5.5
5.7
85 years and
over
1,400
3,200
4,600
2.2
2.4
102,200
106,200
208,400
100.00
100.0
All ages
(Source: ONS: 2015 Mid year population estimates. All population figures are rounded to the nearest 100, the percentages are
calculated on the actual data)
Projection of population change
Every two years, ONS produce a projection of how the population in England will increase or
decrease. These are based on trends over the previous five years. The figures are less certain the
further into the future they predict, but provide a useful indicator of how the population is likely to
change. However, the projections are more accurate for people aged 65 and over as these are less
affected by migration pattern changes.
Age group
2014 base 2024 projection Change in
population
% change
2014 to 2024
0 to 4 years
13,200
12,900
-300
-2.1
5 to 14 years
24,800
26,600
+1,800
+7.6
15 to 24 years
23,700
22,300
-1,400
-5.8
25 to 44 years
52,600
53,000
+400
+1.0
45 to 64 years
56,900
58,900
+2,000
+3.6
65 to 74 years
20,500
22,700
+2,200
+10.5
75 to 84 years
11,200
15,900
+4,700
+41.8
85 years and
over
4,600
6,000
+1,400
+28.5
207,500
218,300
+10,800
+5.3
All ages
(Source: ONS: 2014 Sub national population projections. The population figures are rounded to the nearest 100, the
percentages are calculated on the actual data.)
Ethnic composition
This is an overall breakdown of the ethnicity in Calderdale.
Ethnicity
Calderdale population % of total
population
White British
176,732
86.7
White Other
6,055
3.0
White All
182,787
89.7
Pakistani
13,904
6.8
1,130
0.6
574
0.3
1,267
0.6
16,875
8.3
2,797
1.4
Black / Black British
899
0.4
Others
468
0.2
203,826
100.0
Indian
Bangladeshi
Asian other
Asian / Asian British All
Mixed
Total
(Source: ONS: 2011 Census)
Main transport links

Rail:
The Calder Valley railway line travels through the district and goes to Leeds, Bradford,
Manchester, Preston and Blackpool;

Road:
The district is served by several major ‘A roads’ and the M62 runs along the southern and
eastern borders;

Air:
Both Manchester International and Leeds / Bradford airports can be reached within an hour’s
drive.
Distances to major cities
Calderdale is based in the north of England, so is positioned in a central position to the main cities in
the United Kingdom.
City
Distance from Halifax
Distance from Todmorden
Birmingham
125 miles / 200 kilometres
115 miles / 185 kilometres
Cardiff
225 miles / 360 kilometres
215 miles / 345 kilometres
Edinburgh
210 miles / 335 kilometres
217 miles / 348 kilometres
Leeds
16 miles / 26 kilometres
26 miles / 42 kilometres
London
205 miles / 330 kilometres
215 miles / 345 kilometres
City
Distance from Halifax
Distance from Todmorden
Manchester
32 miles / 52 kilometres
24 miles / 38 kilometres
Newcastle
120 miles / 190 kilometres
130 miles / 205 kilometres
Contacts
For more information, please contact the Performance and Business Intelligence team:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01422 288001.