Make New Friends Across Yorkshire and the Humber

Moorland villages, coastal towns and busy cities each set their own social pace in Yorkshire and the Humber. Explore how women make friends across the region, area by area.

A board game, a bowl of snacks and four friends on a rug at home – meeting people across Yorkshire and the Humber

5.6M+

Residents, ONS mid-2025 estimate

Local authorities, from North Yorkshire to North East Lincolnshire

1 in 11

Aged 18 to 24, slightly above the England average (ONS)

How Friendships Form in Yorkshire and the Humber

Yorkshire and the Humber is home to around 5.7 million people, and local pride here usually belongs to a town rather than the region as a whole. That can make a newcomer feel like an outsider for a while, but it also means places such as York, Harrogate, Halifax, Wakefield and Doncaster have their own clubs, choirs and sports teams, and joining one is the quickest way to stop being the new face. Along the coast and the Humber, Hull, Scarborough, Bridlington and Grimsby keep their own rhythm, and North Yorkshire’s market towns can be a long drive apart, so think local first. About one resident in eleven is aged 18 to 24, slightly above the England average, and York and Hull both have universities. Use the town pages below to start close to home.

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About This Guide

Written by Gofrendly editors Claudia Gard and Ulrika Lilja, this guide to Yorkshire and the Humber looks at the everyday side of friendship in a region where big cities, small towns and the coast each call for a slightly different approach.