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West Kirkwall

Middle area

East Orkney Islands. 3,779 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 2.6 square kilometres.

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Radon Affected Area by middle area

Worked out by Open Index · 2022

Under 1%90% or more

About 100% of people in West Kirkwall live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.

Population
3,739
Joint 1,406th least populated of 9,448
ONS Census 2021 · 2021
People in radon Affected Area squares
100%
UK 44%
Worked out by Open Index
Gigabit broadband coverage
5.7%
UK 87.8%
Ofcom · Jan 2026
Claimant rate
2.1%
UK 3.9%
ONS via Nomis · Aug 2026

Recorded crime in West Kirkwall

Scotland publishes recorded crime by council. It has its own layers.

Crime across Orkney Islands

How West Kirkwall compares

Each dot is a middle area. The black line marks the middle one.

West KirkwallMiddle
Population6 middle areas, Orkney Islands · 2021
Population: every middle area in Orkney Islands6 areas from 2,554 to 4,337. The middle area is 3,948. West Kirkwall is 3,739.
3,7393rd least populated
People in radon Affected Area squares6 middle areas, Orkney Islands · 2022
People in radon Affected Area squares: every middle area in Orkney Islands6 areas from 91.0% to 100.0%. The middle area is 100.0%. West Kirkwall is 100.0%.
100%joint most people in radon Affected Areas
Gigabit broadband coverage6 middle areas, Orkney Islands · Jan 2026
Gigabit broadband coverage: every middle area in Orkney Islands6 areas from 5.7% to 46.7%. The middle area is 32.4%. West Kirkwall is 5.7%.
5.7%lowest
Claimant rate6 middle areas, Orkney Islands · Aug 2026
Claimant rate: every middle area in Orkney Islands6 areas from 1.0% to 2.7%. The middle area is 1.6%. West Kirkwall is 2.1%.
2.1%2nd highest

What is the population of West Kirkwall?

West Kirkwall had 3,739 usual residents at the census.

West Kirkwall is the joint 1,406th least populated of 9,448 in the UK.

Figures for the whole of Orkney Islands

These figures are published for the whole of Orkney Islands, not for each middle area, so they describe all of Orkney Islands and not West Kirkwall alone. See Orkney Islands

Average house price
£214,106
Down 0.3% in a year
HM Land Registry · Jul 2026
Median full-time pay
£43,430
79th highest paid of 348
ONS earnings survey · 2025
House price to pay
4.9×
Joint 39th most affordable of 348
Worked out by Open Index
Population estimate
21,920
Down 0.4% in a year
ONS population estimates · 2025
West Kirkwall in brief

West Kirkwall had 3,739 usual residents at the census.

About 100% of people in West Kirkwall live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.

In West Kirkwall, 5.7% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.

In West Kirkwall, 2.1% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.