York named top city for ‘good growth’ - with Wakefield, Hull, Leeds and Sheffield also on the up
York has been named as the country’s best regional city for ‘good growth’ in a national index assessing factors such as local prosperity, opportunities and wellbeing.
PwC’s 2025 Good Growth for Cities Index has ranked York in first place out of 50 cities for 2025, having assessed key social indicators including skills, housing, transport, health, jobs and work life balance. The city climbed six places from last year to claim the top spot.
The index ranks 50 of the UK’s largest cities, excluding London, based on both the public’s assessment and the actual performance of 12 economic measures, which this year, in order of public importance, were: income; income distribution; safety; work-life balance; health; jobs; housing; environment; transport; high streets; skills and new businesses. The higher the city scores on the public's top priorities, the better the city performs on the index.
Other places in Yorkshire also recorded higher places in the index than last year.
Wakefield and Castleford climbed six places to 23rd, with Hull only two places behind, having climbed seven places to 25th. Leeds climbed three places to 27th whereas Huddersfield fell six places to 31st. Sheffield also climbed an impressive nine places to reach 34th. The lowest performing city was Bradford in 49th.
A PwC spokesperson said: “The seven cities in Yorkshire and the Humber performed well on work-life balance and house price to earnings, with all cities except York and Sheffield scoring significantly above the UK average.
"With transport, six of the seven cities score above or in line with the UK average, while only Sheffield comes in below. Four cities saw their most positive Index increase related to skills. Skills for 16-24 year olds saw the biggest improvement in Index performance in both Bradford and Sheffield, and Skills for the over 25s saw the largest improvement in Huddersfield and Leeds.”
PwC said the national picture demonstrated the public placing an increased importance on non-financial factors in terms of measuring local success such as skills, high streets, housing and transport.
The survey found that across Yorkshire work-life balance was valued more highly than other places in the country.
Emma Suchland, PwC’s Regional Market Leader for the North, said: "Our latest research really highlights just how varied the economic landscape is across the North West, Yorkshire, and the North East – and the unique opportunities each area has to offer. To make the most of these strengths, we need local strategies that play to each region’s advantages. For example, the North East is a global leader in industrial manufacturing, Manchester’s creative and tech sectors are booming, and Yorkshire is fast becoming a top spot for financial and business services outside London.
“For growth to be truly successful, we have to remember how closely economic progress is tied to social wellbeing. People need good jobs, thriving communities, accessible services, reliable transport, and a real sense of wellbeing.
"At the same time, businesses depend on a healthy, skilled workforce, strong infrastructure, and a stable environment to succeed. That’s why local growth plans should bring together investments across all these areas, making sure growth is inclusive and benefits everyone. Achieving this will take ongoing collaboration between local authorities, businesses, and educators."
Rachel Taylor, Government and Health Industries Leader at PwC, said: “Our research indicates that ongoing financial pressures are pushing people to prioritise things that improve their quality of life and future prospects. Bustling high streets, new businesses, and reliable transport links build confidence and optimism.”