• Wetherby and Easingwold ranks among the UK’s best for life satisfaction and community connection
• Sheffield Hallam tops national list for life satisfaction
• Half of residents in Leeds Central and Sheffield Central do not know their neighbours well
• Two in five people in Bradford West feel unsafe after dark

London, UK, 30 April 2026 – Where you live in Yorkshire can shape how connected and safe you feel, with new research by the Belonging Forum released today (30 April) revealing a clear postcode lottery across the region.

Analysis from the Belonging Forum’s 2026 Belonging Barometer shows Yorkshire and the Humber sits close to the national average overall – but this masks wide gaps between areas where people feel a strong sense of belonging and those where they do not.

Sheffield Hallam emerges as one of the region’s strongest areas for belonging. It ranks highly on the Belonging Index – which combines measures such as life satisfaction, loneliness, safety and connection to place to show how strongly people feel they belong in their area.

Residents report high life satisfaction (74%), placing it in the national top 10, alongside strong local connection (61%) and high levels of safety after dark (78%).

Sheffield Hallam also tops the UK for time spent in pubs and bars, with 44% of residents using them as a regular social space, compared to 29% nationally. Residents are also more likely to spend time in cafés (46% vs 38%) and high street venues (37% vs 28%), highlighting the role of shared local spaces in building everyday connection.

A similar pattern is seen in more affluent and rural parts of the region – including Wetherby and Easingwold, which ranks in the national top 10 across multiple measures of the Belonging Index. Around three-quarters (74% vs 67% nationally) report high life satisfaction, while nearly two-thirds (64% vs 57% nationally) know their neighbours well.

Safety is also significantly higher than average, with 92% feeling safe during the day (vs 82% nationally) and 82% feeling safe after dark (vs 67% nationally).

Together, these areas show how strong local ties, familiarity and access to everyday social spaces can support a greater sense of belonging.

But this contrasts sharply with other parts of the region.

In Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, almost one in three (30.9%) residents say they do not feel a sense of belonging. The area has the highest level nationally of people who feel badly represented by their local councillor (32% vs 23% nationally). Just 13% of voters think their MP represents them well, compared to 25% of the general population.

Kingston upon Hull East also ranks among the weakest areas on the Belonging Index, appearing in the bottom 10 nationally across multiple measures including life satisfaction, friendship and attachment to the local area. This may be a perception of poor political support – 31% of respondents feel they are badly represented by their local councillor and only 39% by their local MP, against national averages of 23% and 30% respectively.

Almost half (48%) of residents in both areas report weak connection to where they live – ranking them seventh and eighth in bottom 10 constituencies in the UK.

In some urban centres, the data points to a breakdown in everyday social contact. In Leeds Central and Headingley, half of residents say they do not know their neighbours well, placing the area in the national bottom 10. Sheffield Central shows a similar pattern.

Bradford West records some of the lowest safety scores in the country. More than a quarter (27.4%) feel unsafe during the day, while 40.8% feel unsafe after dark, meaning nearly two in five residents do not feel safe walking alone at night.

Overall, the findings show that while Yorkshire performs broadly in line with the national average, people’s day-to-day experience of belonging varies significantly depending on where they live.

Kim Samuel, Founder of the Belonging Forum, said:
“This research reveals a postcode lottery across Yorkshire, and that where people live has a powerful impact on whether they feel they belong. In some areas people feel safe, connected and part of their community – while in others many feel unsafe after dark and cut off from those around them.

“There is a clear link between loneliness and everyday contact with others, such as knowing your neighbours or spending time in local places. When those foundations are missing, it becomes much harder for people to feel part of their community.

“This is not about individuals, but the environments around them. Safe streets, local services and places to come together are just as important as physical infrastructure. Investing in them is essential if we want to build communities where everyone feels they belong.”

-ENDS-

NOTES TO EDITOR

For media inquiries and interviews, or further information, please contact: press@belongingforum.com

About the Belonging Barometer:

• The research was carried out by Opinium on behalf of the Belonging Forum and surveyed a nationally representative sample of 10,001 UK adults. The survey was conducted between 1st and 17th December 2025.
• The polling analysed figures from the general population and broken down by demographics including gender, age, socioeconomic status, and working status.
• The full findings of the third edition of the Belonging Barometer can be viewed here.

About the Belonging Forum

The Belonging Forum is a global non-profit advancing the right to belong – a birthright that connects us to one another, to the places we call home, to the systems that shape our lives, and to a shared sense of purpose.

We bring together research, advocacy, and action to ensure belonging is embedded in policies, institutions, and everyday life. Through collaboration with thought leaders, community builders, and changemakers around the world, we turn ideas into impact and build a world where everyone can flourish.

The Belonging Forum was founded by Kim Samuel – activist, author, educator, and leading voice in the global movement for belonging.