Town Pop. 86,082

Living in Darlington: Liveability Score 57/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Darlington comes out at 57/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is healthcare: 74/100 against a national town median of 18/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 31/100 versus a median of 88/100.

Broadband (88) also clears 80/100. That puts Darlington in the top quarter of the UK towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the DL1 postcode district.

OUT OF 100

Average

Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

Loading map…

Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Darlington scores 57 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Darlington.

Or compare:

DL1 1AA DL1 2AA DL1 3AA DL1 4AA DL1 5AA DL1 9AG DL1 DL2 DL3 DL98

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

120.5 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3

Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months

Violence and sexual offences 3,431 crimes

↑ 20% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 2,455 crimes

↑ 88% above national average

Criminal damage and arson 1,147 crimes

↑ 96% above national average

Shoplifting 747 crimes

↑ 12% above national average

Public order 614 crimes

≈ similar to national average

other 1,982 crimes

Highest-crime locations

Loading map…

1 Parking Area 446 crimes
2 Supermarket 300 crimes
3 Teeswater 188 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 7 · PM2.5 5.5 · PM10 9.2 µg/m³

Green Space 14

Parks Ample 30

Sports Pitches Ample 24

Allotments Ample 17

Golf Courses Adequate 2

Tennis Courts Ample 11

Bowling Greens Ample 7

Playgrounds Ample 34

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 36 in area

2Outstanding28Good2Requires Improvement4Ungraded

George Dent Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
Outstanding
St John's Church of England AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
Outstanding
Abbey Infants' SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Abbey Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Beaumont Hill AcademySpecial · inspected 2024
Good
Borough Road Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2025
Good
Corporation Road Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Firthmoor Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
Good
Gurney Pease AcademyPrimary · inspected 2021
Good
Haughton AcademySecondary · inspected 2022
Good

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Healthcare

A&E departmentsDarlington Memorial Hospitalin area

The James Cook University Hospital11.5 mi

Friarage Hospital11.7 mi

Hospital waitsCounty Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi

Routine referral (median)11 wks

Treated within 18 weeks66.8%

A&E seen within 4 hrs70.1%

9 GP surgeries in area best 'Outstanding'

GP capacity2,212 patients per GP

19dentists17pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband

Full fibre (FTTP)79.1%

available across Darlington

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

96.7%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

96.7%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99.4%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 2,108 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate55.5%

Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed55.5%Unemployed3.6%Retired24.7%Student3.7%Other inactive12.5%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial33.4%Skilled & technical31.6%Routine & elementary35%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications20%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.7%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.6%Level 3 (A levels)18.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)27.5%Apprenticeship7.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.7%

Home ownership61.7%

Around the England average for deprivation

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

Council tax Darlington · 2026-27

A £1,663

B £1,940

C £2,217

D £2,494

E £3,048

F £3,602

G £4,157

H £4,988

Energy North East England region

Typical bill regional £1,641/yr

Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026

Typical home efficiency local EPC band D

Water Northumbrian Water

Average bill regional £435/yr

Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

North Road 0.3 mi

Darlington 0.8 mi

Dinsdale 3.7 mi

J58 A1(M) 2.3 mi

J58 A1(M) 2.5 mi

J59 A1(M) 3.5 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 66

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 93

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 91

Retail Shopping Ample 572

Takeaways Ample 117

Fitness Ample 18

Places like Darlington Pro

Pick the categories you want to beat. Pro members see the most similar settlements that score higher in all of them.

Find somewhere like Darlington, but with a higher score in …

ProSimilar settlements is a Pro featureUpgrade to Pro

House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£152,750	650
Detached	£250,000	113
Semi-detached	£165,000	279
Terraced	£115,000	201
Flat / Maisonette	£95,000	57

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Frequently asked questions

Is Darlington a nice place to live?

Darlington is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Darlington is 57/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Darlington?

Darlington has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 31/100. There were 10,376 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Darlington?

Among the top-rated schools in Darlington are George Dent Nursery School and St John's Church of England Academy, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 36 rated schools in Darlington in total.

What are house prices like in Darlington?

The current median house price in Darlington is £152,750, around 46% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £250,000, semi-detached £165,000, terraced £115,000, flat £95,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 11%. There were 650 sales recorded in the past 12 months.