Has where you live become ‘gentrified’ over the years?

LOOKING for the biggest hipster hangouts in Manchester? Data suggests Didsbury East, Whalley Range and Chorlton are probably your best bet.

A major new investigation by Reach Data Unit has revealed which neighbourhoods in our city have seen the greatest levels of gentrification in the last 15 years.

Gentrification is what happens when an influx of more affluent residents change the makeup of an area, usually improving the material quality of a neighbourhood through housing developments, business growth and better resources.

However, as well as these positives, gentrification comes with a price tag – the soaring house prices and rents associated with the change often lead to the displacement of lower-income families and smaller, independent businesses.

While measuring and predicting gentrification is not an exact science, there are several indicators that are associated with the process, including rising house prices and earnings, decreasing deprivation and changes to social class in an area.

The Data Unit has analysed statistics going as far back as 2001 to gauge which Manchester wards have seen the most improvements in these indicators, as well as ranking each area based on the current situation.

The results show that while parts of south Manchester have seen significant development in the last 15 years, inner-city wards are much more likely to have seen a decline over the same period.

Didsbury East, Whalley Range and Chorlton can be said to be the most gentrified areas in the city, while places like Harpurhey and Miles Platting and Newton Heath are at the other end of the scale.