# West Heywood

West Rochdale. About 12,498 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 5.1 square kilometres.

West Heywood had 12,127 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021).

Ward. Code E05014051. In: [North West](https://openindex.co.uk/north-west) › [Rochdale](https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale)

## Key figures

- **Population: 12,127** (2021). West Heywood had 12,127 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021). 1,550th most populated of 8,397. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/west-heywood#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 100%** (2022). About 100% of people in West Heywood live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/west-heywood#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 96.5%** (January 2026). In West Heywood, 96.5% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/west-heywood#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 5.4%** (August 2026). In West Heywood, 5.4% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026 (ONS via Nomis). UK 3.9%. Source: Claimant count (Nomis), August 2026. Published 15 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/west-heywood#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=E05014051) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 100% of people in West Heywood live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=E05014051) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Rochdale. The outline is West Heywood.
- [Population by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=E05014051) (Census 2021, England and Wales): West Heywood had 12,127 usual residents at the census.
- [Deprivation score by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/deprivation-score-england?place=E05014051) (English Indices of Deprivation 2025): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Rochdale. The outline is West Heywood.

## How West Heywood compares

Each ward against every other ward the measure covers.

| Measure | West Heywood | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 12,127 | 5th most populated | 20 wards, Rochdale · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 100% | joint most people in radon Affected Areas | 20 wards, Rochdale · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 96.5% | joint 4th highest | 20 wards, Rochdale · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 5.4% | 10th lowest | 20 wards, Rochdale · Aug 2026 |

## What is the population of West Heywood?

West Heywood had 12,127 usual residents at the census.
West Heywood is the 1,550th most populated of 8,397 in the UK.

## Figures for the whole of Rochdale

These figures are published for the whole of Rochdale, not for each ward, so they describe all of Rochdale and not West Heywood alone. [See Rochdale](https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale)

- **Average house price: £211,022** (August 2026). Rochdale’s average house price was £211,022 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 3.3% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £34,660** (2025). Full-time workers living in Rochdale earned a median of £34,660 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 46th lowest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 6.1×** (2025). A home in Rochdale costs 6.1 times local full-time pay. Joint 101st most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Deprivation score: 34.3** (2025). Rochdale has a deprivation score of 34.3 in the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG). 17th most deprived of 296. Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025, 2025. Published 30 October 2025.

## West Heywood in brief

West Heywood had 12,127 usual residents at the census.
About 100% of people in West Heywood live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In West Heywood, 96.5% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In West Heywood, 5.4% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Ward
- Code: E05014051
- Constituency: [Heywood and Middleton North †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/heywood-and-middleton-north)
- Council: [Rochdale](https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale)
- Region: [North West](https://openindex.co.uk/north-west)
- Nation: [England](https://openindex.co.uk/england)
- Area: 5.07 km²
- People, mid-2024: 12,498*
- Neighbourhoods: 7
- Output areas: 40

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the constituency this ward mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow it.

## Next door

[Bury East](https://openindex.co.uk/bury/ward/bury-east), [Unsworth](https://openindex.co.uk/bury/ward/unsworth), [Hopwood Hall](https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/hopwood-hall), [North Heywood](https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/north-heywood), [Norden](https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/norden), [Redvales](https://openindex.co.uk/bury/ward/redvales)

## Latest updates for West Heywood

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Dental practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/E05014051

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/west-heywood, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/west-heywood#f-population.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/rochdale/ward/west-heywood