York Demographics

Population Size
198,051
There are 101,797 women and only 96,254 men Visualisation of York’s population
(26 Jan 2020)
Age
(Compared to national
average):

• Higher proportion of people aged 18-

24 (this is largely because of the two
universities in the city)
• Smaller proportion of children
• Slightly lower proportion of working
age adults
• Between 2020 and 2025 the older
adult population of York is expected
to grow by around 10%.
Housing:
• One in three people in York live in rented accommodation, this is higher than the
England average
• The rental market and the cost of home ownership in York is more expensive than
regional and national averages and has risen consistently over the last few years
Crime:
• Crime rate: Low
• York has a significantly lower level of both violent crime and victim based crime than
the national average
• A proportion of people felt that drug dealing, noisy neighbours, and hate crime were
problems in their local area
• Hate crime disproportionately affects LGBT people and people with BME backgrounds
Economy:
• The city receives 6.9 million visitors annually; they contribute £564 million to the economy and
support over 19,000 jobs
• In the 2017 Condé Nast Traveller survey of readers, York rated 12th among The 15 Best Cities in
the UK for visitors
• There were 98,721 people in the workforce between the ages of 16 and 74
York Culture
Art

• York Art Gallery’s collection of important

European paintings spanning seven
centuries, with works by Bellotto,
Reynolds, Lowry, and York-born William
Etty.
• Centre of Ceramic Arts (CoCA), home to a
collection of more than 5,000 examples
of British Studio Ceramics from
throughout the twentieth century right up
to the present day.
• Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, you
will take a journey into the world of one
of the greatest artistic geniuses of the
19th century. A 360 degree digital
projections, and a uniquely atmospheric
light and sound show.
Theatre

• The Theatre Royal, which was

established in 1744, produces
an annual pantomime which
attracts loyal audiences from
around the country
• The Grand Opera House and
Joseph Rowntree Theatre also
offer a variety of productions
Events

• York annually hosts the ‘That Jorvik Viking thing’ event

which invites Viking enthusiasts from all over Europe
to celebrate Viking culture through storytelling, live
concerts and tutorials that educate you on the way
Vikings lived.
• York also hosts the ‘Dark skies festival’ in The North
York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Park. Which
includes star gazing and commentary from scientists
and astronomers.
• York annually hosts the ‘York Ice Trail’ which
incorporates their medieval history into fun activities
such as watching live ice carvings, and mini
competitions to win great prizes.
Music

• The Academy of St Olave's, a chamber

orchestra which gives concerts in St
Olave's Church, is one of the music
groups that perform regularly in York
• St Margaret’s is the National Centre
for Early Music, which hosts concerts,
broadcasts, competitions and events
including the York Early Music
Festival.
• Concerts at the National Centre for
Early Music feature folk, jazz, 20th
century and world music
Food & Drink

• York ham, a mild-flavoured ham with delicate

pink colouring. It is traditionally served with
Madeira Sauce. As a lightly smoked, dry-cured
ham, York ham is saltier but milder in flavour
than other European dry-cured hams.
• Each September since 1997, York has held an
annual Festival of Food and Drink. The aim of the
festival is to spotlight food culture in York and
North Yorkshire by promoting local food
production. The Festival attracts up to 150,000
visitors over 10 days, from all over the country.
• The Assize of Ale is an annual event in the city
where people in medieval costume take part in a
pub crawl to raise money for local charities.
• The Knavesmire, home of York Racecourse, plays
host to Yorkshire's largest beer festival every
September run by York CAMRA – York Beer &
Cider Festival.
Sport

• York City FC who are competing in

National League North as of the
2019–20 season. Their matches are
played at Bootham Crescent.
• York Racecourse was established in
1731 and from 1990 has been
awarded Northern Racecourse of the
Year for 17 years running.
• York hosts the UK Snooker
Championship, which is the second
biggest ranking tournament in the
sport, at the York Barbican Centre.
York History
Romans, Saxons and Vikings

• Founded by the ancient Romans,

they knew it as Eboracum. To the
Saxons it was Eoforwick. The Vikings,
who came as invaders but stayed on
in settlements, called it Jorvik
• The Viking invasion of York took
place on November 1st 866AD and
was led by Ivar The Boneless who
along with King Halfden renamed
the city Jorvik.
York Minster

• Since the 7th century, the Minster

has been at the centre of Christianity
in the north of England and today
remains a thriving church rooted in
the daily offering of worship and
prayer
• It has medieval stained glass and 2
functioning bell towers. The Minster
sits in the heart of the city drawing
thousands of visitors a year
City Walls

• York has more miles of intact wall

than any other city in England
• The original walls were built around
71 AD, when the Romans erected a
fort (castra) occupying about 50
acres or 21.5 hectares near the
banks of the River Ouse.
Shambles
• Shambles is an old street in York, England, with overhanging
timber-framed buildings, some dating back as far as the
fourteenth century. It was once known as The Great Flesh
Shambles, probably from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammels, the
word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat.
• As recently as 1872 twenty-five butchers' shops were
located along the street
• It is associated with the Wizarding World of Harry
Potter. Said to be the inspiration for the film version of
Diagon Alley, however it wasn’t filmed there.
Famous inhabitants

• (1570-1606) Born in York, Guy Fawkes was baptised at St Michael-

le-Belfrey on 16 April 1570, probably having been born a few days
previously in his parents’ house on Stonegate
• Judi Dench (born 1934)
• Mark Addy (born 1964)
• Taj Atwal (born 1987)
• David Bradley (born 1942)
• Michael Burns (born 1952)
• Mary Ellen Best (1809–1891), painter
• Nathan Drake (1728–1778), artist, a fellow of the Society of Artists
• William Etty (1787–1849), painter
• John Flaxman (1755–1826), sculptor and draughtsman
Industry/Commerce
Confectionary
• By the 20th century, confectionery and the railway were the main
industries in York
• York became a centre for production of confectionery and cocoa
• Rowntree were the main company to supply confectionery in York
• Rowntree’s was bought by Nestlé in 1988

• Chocolate is a big part of York’s tradition and still has a massive

influence over the city today with many employed in the industry today.
Railway

• York was a hub for rail travel during the 19th

century, the first train left York to London in 1839.
• By the 1850s, there were 13 trains a day between
the two cities, carrying 341,000 passengers a year.
• In 1877 a new station, the largest in the country. By
1888 there were 294 trains arriving daily.
• The repair and manufacture of engines and
carriages became as important to the city as the
railways themselves.
• By the end of the 19th century, York had around
5,500 railway employees, half of whom were
employed in the wagon and carriage works. The York
Carriageworks finally closed in 1996.
Geography
• York lies in the vale of York, which is a flat area of fertile arable land
bordered by the Pennines, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds.
• The city was built at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss on a
terminal moraine left by the last ice age.
• During the Roman age, the land surrounding the rivers was marshy, which
made the site easy to defend against invaders.
• The city is prone to flooding. Recently, York experienced the worst flooding
in 375 years and more than 300 homes were flooded.
• York is prone to frosts, fog and cold winds due to its lowland location, the
centre of the city is only about 50 feet above sea level.
• Within the borders of Yorkshire are areas which are widely considered to
be among the greenest in England, due to the vast stretches of unspoilt
countryside in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors.