Leigh area report

Highlights

Leigh is a neighbourhood in Greater Manchester with a population of 11,318. The median house price is £125,000, with 394 sales in the past 12 months. Terraced properties dominate the market at a median of £122,000. Air quality is moderate, with nitrogen dioxide at 12.2 micrograms per cubic metre annually and particulate matter at 6.9. About 5 per cent of neighbourhoods in England are more deprived than Leigh. The median age is 38.8 years, and 44.1 per cent of homes are owner-occupied. One-person households account for 41.2 per cent of the 5,414 households. Education levels show 19.5 per cent of residents aged 16 and over hold level 4 qualifications or above, whilst 26.8 per cent have no qualifications. Broadband coverage is extensive, with 99.0 per cent superfast availability. The area is governed by Wigan Council, a metropolitan district council under Labour control.

Data updated 2026/2025. Leigh, Greater Manchester — a free, sourced local-area report from Acreright. Every figure shows its source and date; where the data isn't reliable we say so rather than guess.

This district. Figures below lead with Leigh’s own data where it exists; wider-area statistics are clearly labelled.

Within Greater Manchester, Leigh ranks 1st cheapest of 10, 1st most affordable and 1st best for schools.

What does it cost?

• £125,000 median home price (HM Land Registry Price Paid, May 2026) Across this district

Sold prices in Leigh have risen 54% over the last five years (UK House Price Index).

Who lives here?

• 11,318 residents (ONS Census 2021 (Nomis), 2021) Across this district

About 5% of neighbourhoods in England are more deprived than Leigh (English Indices of Deprivation, decile 1 of 10, national basis). Little changed since 2019 (decile 1).

Schools

• 93% of inspected schools rated Good or Outstanding (Get Information About Schools (GIAS) + Ofsted inspections MI, 2026) Across this district

Getting around

• ≈28 min fastest train to Manchester (OpenStreetMap + National Rail timetable (ATOC/RDG, GTFS), 2026) This district
• 91% of premises can get gigabit broadband (Ofcom Connected Nations, 2024) Across this district

Has it been a good investment?

Investment context: a gross rental yield of about 8% (area median rent against the median sold price) — appraise a specific property at /appraisal/leigh.

Compare every area in Greater Manchester: Greater Manchester area guide & rankings.

Nearby areas we cover: Lilford, Pennington, Bedford.