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A new report from the University of York has revealed hidden poverty in one of the North’s most prosperous cities.
Published 125 years after Seebohm Rowntree’s landmark 1901 study into poverty in York, the University of York’s Cost of Living Research Group has uncovered modern-day deprivation and inequality in the city, despite its reputation for affluence.
The study, Poverty and Progress? 125 Years On from Rowntree’s Study of Life in York, highlights the challenges faced by many families and the policies designed to address them.
Dr Kit Colliver, from 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.
"The city of York has changed significantly over the 125 years since Seebohm Rowntree’s landmark study.
"Once 'typical' of Northern towns in the industrial age, York now stands apart in both financial success and its high cost of living.
"The tension between affluence and deprivation is a central theme within the report, with the city’s outward wealth masking deep pockets of deprivation and exacerbating the experience of inequality for those struggling to get by."
Key findings show that despite its overall prosperity, York still faces significant social challenges.
The Centre for Cities recently named York the UK’s "most affluent city" because more of its neighbourhoods are among the 20 per cent least deprived nationally than in any other major city in the country.
However, 18.2 per cent of children in the City of York area lived in relative poverty after housing costs in 2025, and low-income households in York were more likely to fall below the poverty line than similar households in London during 2024/25.
The report identified high living costs, particularly housing, as a major factor, with York ranking 17th out of 63 major cities for house prices and 16th least affordable of 63 major cities for housing.
The study also pointed to fragmented policy systems and reduced funding as barriers to progress, but noted examples of strong leadership and innovative approaches in the city.
Among its recommendations, the report calls for investment in local infrastructure and services, improved targeting and delivery of support, and cross-sector collaboration at all levels.
It emphasises the need for both national policy changes and local reforms to address the issue effectively.
The report will be launched on October 5 at The Priory Centre in York, during a community event titled One City, One Strategy: Ending Poverty Together.