Average house price compared with resident median annual pay.
Barnsley Wages, Employment and Property Affordability
Resident earnings, employment, unemployment and affordability context for reading Barnsley prices and rents.
Apr 2025-Mar 2026 / ASHE 2026
Barnsley wages, employment and affordability
Resident earnings and labour-market context help explain local affordability, rental pressure and housing demand.
Resident population
252,784
ONS 2025
Median resident annual pay
£38,558
Barnsley
Median resident weekly pay
£742
Full-time employees
Employment rate
72.3%
Aged 16-64
Unemployment rate
2.6%
Economically active
Average monthly rent compared with estimated monthly earnings.
Labour market rates are from the ONS Annual Population Survey profile shown by Nomis. Where the local APS unemployment value is suppressed, the ONS model-based unemployment estimate is used. Earnings are ONS ASHE resident-analysis median full-time employee earnings. Annual pay is annualised from weekly pay for display context.
Incomes Explain Affordability Pressure
Wage and employment data does not predict house prices by itself. It gives demand-side context: how average prices and rents compare with resident earnings, whether employment conditions support demand, and where affordability pressure may limit the buyer or renter pool.
Barnsley’s labour market picture is mixed, but broadly steady. ONS and Nomis data show a resident population of 252,784 in 2025, which gives useful context for the local earnings and workforce profile.
The figures below are from the Annual Population Survey, with resident pay from ASHE.