York’s reputation for affluence does not mean poverty has disappeared. A 2026 University of York report finds that families face high housing costs and fragmented support, and the university says 18.2% of children in the City of York local authority area lived in relative poverty after housing costs in 2025.
What the 2026 report examines
Poverty and Progress? 125 years on from Rowntree’s study of life in York, published by the University of York’s Cost of Living Research Group, revisits poverty and living standards in the city. It compares conditions today with those examined by Seebohm Rowntree, considers policies intended to address poverty, and includes accounts from residents who grew up in poverty.
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Rowntree’s Poverty: A Study of Town Life was published in 1901. The university describes it as a detailed examination of York’s living conditions that advanced the scientific measurement of poverty. The new report takes up that history 125 years later, asking what progress means when hardship persists alongside visible prosperity.
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Why York can rank as affluent while residents struggle
The University of York announcement says the Centre for Cities described York as the UK’s “most affluent city” because a larger share of its neighbourhoods falls within the least-deprived fifth than in any other major city. That is a ranking based on the distribution of neighbourhood deprivation; it does not mean every neighbourhood or household is affluent.
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The report’s contrast is between citywide measures and individual circumstances. The university says low-income households in York were more likely to fall below the poverty line than equivalent households in London during 2024/25. The announcement gives no percentage or margin for that comparison, so it does not establish how much more likely they were.
What the reported figures show—and what they do not
- Child poverty: The University of York says 18.2% of children in the City of York local authority area lived in relative poverty after housing costs in 2025. The figure is specific to that local authority, year and measure.
- House prices: York ranked 17th of 63 major cities for average house prices, according to the university announcement.
- Affordability: York ranked 16th least affordable of those 63 cities for housing affordability; the announcement also describes it as the least affordable city in its comparison.
These figures describe different things: child poverty after housing costs, average house prices, housing affordability and neighbourhood deprivation. They should not be treated as parts of a single ranking or index. The announcement does not set out the underlying methods or data definitions for the figures, so it does not support further methodological claims or more detailed comparisons.
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How housing costs and fragmented support affect households
The university’s summary identifies high housing costs and low incomes as pressures on families. It also says support systems are fragmented and siloed, while stretched funding limits how effectively services can work together. The problem is therefore not just whether help exists, but whether residents can reach appropriate support and whether organisations can coordinate it.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsReport author Dr Kit Colliver, of the University of York’s Cost of Living Research Group, said: “While York is widely celebrated as the most affluent city in the North, the findings demonstrate that thousands of local families are quietly struggling against soaring housing and energy costs, fragmented support services, and a tourist-centric city centre that leaves many low-income residents feeling isolated and priced out of civic life.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the report recommends
The university groups the recommendations into three connected priorities:
- Invest in local infrastructure and services. Strengthen the local provision residents rely on, rather than expecting stretched services to meet need without adequate resources.
- Make existing support easier to use and better targeted. Remove barriers that prevent people from accessing help and improve how support reaches those who need it.
- Coordinate action across sectors and levels of government. Build collaboration so local and regional resources can contribute to shared goals.
The report’s overall approach, as summarized by the university, combines national policy change with local investment and reform. Neither city-level services nor national policy alone is presented as a complete response.
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