Bradway Premier Removals has been moving Sheffield households for 12 years. As a Which? Trusted Trader certified, family-run team based in S17, we see the city’s property patterns first-hand, which postcodes generate the most moves, where people go when they leave, and what the housing stock actually looks like on the ground. This page pulls together the key Sheffield moving, migration, and housing data from ONS, Land Registry, and Sheffield City Council so that home movers, estate agents, journalists, and researchers have a single, sourced reference.
All figures below are drawn from ONS, Land Registry, and Sheffield City Council public datasets. Where figures are from a specific release year, that year is noted.
How Many People Move in Sheffield Each Year?
Sheffield’s population sits at approximately 584,000 (ONS mid-year estimate 2022). Internal migration, people moving between local authorities, contributes a consistent churn to the city’s housing market.
According to ONS Internal Migration data, Sheffield typically records around 30,000 to 35,000 address changes per year when combining in-moves from other UK local authorities with out-moves. Net migration has historically been positive for Sheffield, with more people arriving than leaving, driven in part by the student population at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.
Key headline figures (ONS Internal Migration, 2021/22 release):
- In-migrants to Sheffield from other UK local authorities: approximately 18,500
- Out-migrants from Sheffield to other UK local authorities: approximately 16,200
- Net gain: approximately +2,300 per year
The student cycle inflates raw movement figures, Sheffield sees a surge of address registrations in September and October each year as students arrive, and a corresponding out-movement in June and July.
Sheffield House Prices by Area
Land Registry Price Paid data gives a clear picture of which parts of Sheffield attract the most transaction activity and at what price points. The table below uses Land Registry data for the 12 months to December 2023.
Before the table, a note on volume: transaction count is a proxy for how active a local market is. High-volume areas generate more moves, which means more families needing removals support.
| Sheffield Area / Postcode District | Median Sale Price (2023) | Annual Transactions (approx.) | Typical Property Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 (City Centre) | £165,000 | 420 | Flat / apartment |
| S2 (Heeley, Manor) | £155,000 | 680 | Terraced |
| S3 (Burngreave, Neepsend) | £148,000 | 310 | Terraced |
| S5 (Southey, Firth Park) | £142,000 | 590 | Semi-detached |
| S6 (Walkley, Hillsborough) | £185,000 | 740 | Semi-detached / terraced |
| S7 (Millhouses, Nether Edge) | £285,000 | 410 | Semi-detached / detached |
| S10 (Broomhill, Crosspool) | £295,000 | 380 | Semi-detached / detached |
| S11 (Ecclesall, Sharrow) | £310,000 | 490 | Semi-detached / detached |
| S17 (Dore, Bradway, Totley) | £395,000 | 320 | Detached |
| S20 (Westfield, Holbrook) | £195,000 | 510 | Semi-detached |
Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, 2023. Figures are approximate medians rounded to nearest £5,000.
The S17 district, which includes Bradway, Dore, and Totley in south Sheffield, records the highest median sale price in the city. Moves in and out of S17 typically involve larger, higher-value properties, longer driveways, and access planning that rewards experience. As a family-run team with 12 years covering S17 and south Sheffield, Bradway Premier Removals handles these moves regularly, from four-bedroom detached homes in Dore to period properties on the Totley boundary.
Where Do Sheffield Movers Go?
ONS origin-destination migration data shows the most common local authority destinations for people leaving Sheffield. The top destinations for Sheffield out-migrants (2021/22) are:
- Rotherham, the most common single destination, reflecting the continuous cross-boundary movement along the M1 and A630 corridors
- Barnsley, strong movement north, particularly from north Sheffield postcodes (S5, S6)
- Doncaster, movement east, common among families upsizing to larger homes at lower price points
- Leeds, movement north along the M1, often driven by employment
- Chesterfield / North East Derbyshire, movement south, particularly from S17, S8, and S12 postcodes
For context: Rotherham, Barnsley, and Doncaster together account for roughly 40% of all Sheffield out-migration to neighbouring local authorities. This is the South Yorkshire belt, movers who leave Sheffield rarely go far.
Sheffield Population by Area
Sheffield City Council publishes ward-level population estimates that help contextualise where the highest concentration of households, and therefore the highest volume of moves, are located.
The most populous wards (Sheffield City Council estimates, 2021 Census base):
- Southey: approximately 18,500 residents
- Manor Castle: approximately 17,800 residents
- Hillsborough: approximately 17,200 residents
- Burngreave: approximately 16,900 residents
- Beighton: approximately 16,500 residents
Higher-density wards in north and east Sheffield, Southey, Manor Castle, Burngreave, generate high raw move volumes at lower property prices. South Sheffield wards (Dore and Totley, Beauchief and Greenhill, which includes Bradway) have lower population density but higher transaction values.
Sheffield Rental Market and Tenant Moves
Not all Sheffield movers are buyers. The private rented sector accounts for a significant share of the city’s housing stock, particularly in inner-city postcodes and areas adjacent to the two universities.
Key figures (English Housing Survey 2022/23 and Sheffield City Council Housing data):
- Approximately 26% of Sheffield households rent privately
- City centre (S1), Broomhill (S10), and Crookes (S10) have the highest proportion of private renters, driven by student demand
- ONS Private Rental Market Statistics (PRMS) for Yorkshire and the Humber show median private rents rising year-on-year since 2020. Sheffield-specific district-level figures are published annually by ONS in the PRMS release, check the current release at ons.gov.uk for the latest Sheffield figures, as the most recent data supersedes any commercial aggregator estimates.
Tenant moves typically happen more frequently than owner-occupier moves, average tenancy length in Sheffield’s private rented sector is around 2.5 to 3 years, generating a higher churn of moves per address.
Common Sheffield Move Pairings
Based on Land Registry transaction data and ONS flow data, the most frequent move pairings into and out of Sheffield are:
| Origin | Destination | Typical driver |
|---|---|---|
| Sheffield S17/S11 | Dore, Totley, Bakewell (Derbyshire) | Upsizing, rural preference |
| Sheffield S6/S5 | Rotherham, Barnsley | Affordability, family proximity |
| Sheffield city centre | Nether Edge, Walkley, Crookes | First-time buyer graduation from renting |
| Rotherham | Sheffield S2/S12 | Employment, city access |
| Barnsley | Sheffield S5/S6 | Employment, city access |
| Sheffield (any) | Leeds | Employment relocation |
These pairings are the bread-and-butter of South Yorkshire removals work. The Sheffield-Rotherham and Sheffield-Barnsley corridors are particularly high-frequency, and both are routes that Bradway Premier Removals covers as standard, the team is Which? Trusted Trader certified, fully insured, and has been running these cross-boundary moves for 12 years. For longer Sheffield-to-Leeds or Sheffield-to-Chesterfield runs, the same trained crew and covered vehicles handle the job. Book a Sheffield removal with Bradway if your move follows one of these corridors.
Sheffield Housing Stock Composition
The type of housing in an area determines how complex a move is. Terraced streets with restricted parking, fourth-floor flats with no lift, or large detached homes in long private driveways all present different logistical challenges.
Sheffield’s housing stock by type (2021 Census) shapes what every Sheffield removals job looks like in practice:
- Detached houses: 19% of stock
- Semi-detached houses: 34% of stock
- Terraced houses: 33% of stock
- Flats, maisonettes, apartments: 13% of stock
- Other: 1%
Compared to the England average (detached 22%, semi 32%, terraced 24%, flats 21%), Sheffield skews slightly toward terraced and semi-detached housing and has a lower proportion of flats than the national average. The strong terraced stock in north and east Sheffield means restricted street access is a common consideration on move day, narrow Victorian streets in areas like Burngreave, Pitsmoor, and parts of S6 benefit from a smaller vehicle or advance parking planning.
FAQs
Rotherham is consistently the most common single destination for Sheffield out-migrants, followed by Barnsley and Doncaster. Together these three South Yorkshire authorities account for a large share of cross-boundary moves out of Sheffield. Leeds is the main destination for longer-distance moves, typically driven by employment. Movement south into Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire is also common, particularly from south Sheffield postcodes.
S17, covering Dore, Bradway, and Totley in south Sheffield, records the highest median sale prices in the city, at around £395,000 based on 2023 Land Registry data. S11 (Ecclesall, Sharrow Vale, Greystones) and S10 (Broomhill, Crosspool) are also among the higher-value districts. The most affordable transaction areas sit in S2, S3, and S5 in east and north Sheffield.
Based on ONS Internal Migration data for 2021/22, approximately 18,500 people moved to Sheffield from another UK local authority in that year. Sheffield has a consistent net positive migration balance, meaning more people arrive than leave, partly driven by the student intake at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.
Semi-detached houses make up the largest single share of Sheffield’s housing stock at 34%, followed closely by terraced houses at 33%. Detached homes account for 19% and flats 13%, based on the 2021 Census. The relatively low flat proportion compared to other UK cities reflects Sheffield’s suburban character outside the city centre.
Plan Your Sheffield Move with Bradway
Bradway Premier Removals is a Sheffield-based, family-run team with 12 years of experience moving homes across the city and South Yorkshire. Which? Trusted Trader certified and fully insured, we cover Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Chesterfield, and the wider region.
Get a free quote for your Sheffield move or call Matt on 07770 585 521 or 0114 322 1554.