City Pop. 40,027

Living in Durham: Liveability Score 52/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Durham comes out at 52/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Lifestyle is where Durham most outperforms the national norm: 70/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 24/100 versus a median of 88/100.

On the national picture that lands Durham in the top quarter of all the places we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the DH1 postcode district.

52
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.

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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.

Durham scores 52 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Durham.
Or compare:
DH1 1AB DH1 2AA DH1 3AA DH1 4AA DH1 5AA DH1 9DA DH1 DH7 DH97 DH98

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
24
137.2 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 1,715 crimes
↑ 29% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 1,021 crimes
↑ 68% above national average
Shoplifting 968 crimes
↑ 210% above national average
Public order 435 crimes
↑ 68% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 381 crimes
↑ 40% above national average
other 970 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Parking Area 337 crimes
  2. 2 Station Bank 316 crimes
  3. 3 Nightclub 266 crimes

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

Environment
70
Air Quality NO₂ 7.7 · PM2.5 5.5 · PM10 9.2 µg/m³
76
Green Space 56
Parks Ample 19
Sports Pitches Ample 68
Allotments Ample 9
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts Ample 30
Bowling Greens Ample 4
Playgrounds Ample 31

Services

Schools
59
Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 23 in area · 25 within 4km
2Outstanding19Good2Ungraded
  • Framwellgate Moor Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Langley Moor Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • Belmont Cheveley Park Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Belmont CofE (Controlled) Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
    Good
  • Belmont Community SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Blue Coat CofE (Aided) Junior SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Durham Gilesgate Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Durham Newton Hall Infants' SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Durham Trinity School & Sports CollegeSpecial · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Finchale Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good

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

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
46
A&E departmentsUniversity Hospital of North Durhamin area
Queen Elizabeth Hospital8.9 mi
Sunderland Primary care Trust9.1 mi
Hospital waitsCounty Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust0.3 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs70.1%
2 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'
GP capacity2,034 patients per GP
18dentists10pharmacies

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
48
Full fibre (FTTP)82.9%
available across County Durham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
80.5%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
80.5%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
97.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 955 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
70
Employment rate43.4%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed43.4%Unemployed2.7%Retired24%Student19.8%Other inactive10.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial47.1%Skilled & technical28.1%Routine & elementary24.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.9%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)6.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)10.5%Level 3 (A levels)26.3%Level 4+ (degree & above)37.8%Apprenticeship4.1%Other (incl. vocational)2.2%
Home ownership64.1%
Among the least-deprived 32% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
34
Council tax Durham · 2026-27
A £1,748
B £2,039
C £2,331
D £2,622
E £3,205
F £3,787
G £4,370
H £5,244
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

Transport
62
Durham 0.6 mi
Chester-le-Street 5 mi
South Hylton 9.7 mi
J62 A1(M) 1.6 mi
J62 A1(M) 2 mi
J61 A1(M) 4 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
70
Pubs & Bars Ample 65
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 137
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 43
Retail Shopping Ample 399
Takeaways Ample 78
Fitness Ample 27

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £220,200 211
Detached £360,000 43
Semi-detached £215,000 93
Terraced £225,000 47
Flat / Maisonette £98,125 28
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced Flat
£104k £220k £340k £456k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

High Shincliffe 54 2.3 mi away ⇄
Sherburn (County Durham) 53 2.5 mi away ⇄
Ushaw Moor and Bearpark 42 2.7 mi away ⇄
Nettlesworth and Kimblesworth 36 3.0 mi away ⇄
Brandon (County Durham) 43 3.1 mi away ⇄
Witton Gilbert 47 3.1 mi away ⇄
High Pittington 50 3.2 mi away ⇄
West Rainton 41 3.3 mi away ⇄
Sacriston 45 3.4 mi away ⇄
New Brancepeth 55 3.4 mi away ⇄
Sherburn Hill 33 3.6 mi away ⇄
Bowburn 41 3.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Durham a nice place to live?

Durham is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Durham is 52/100, 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 Durham?

Crime levels in Durham are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 24/100. There were 5,490 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Durham?

Among the top-rated schools in Durham are Framwellgate Moor Primary School and Langley Moor Nursery School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 23 rated schools in Durham in total.

What are house prices like in Durham?

The current median house price in Durham is £220,200, around 23% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £360,000, semi-detached £215,000, terraced £225,000, flat £98,125. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 8%. There were 211 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Durham in context

See where Durham ranks among the best places to live in County Durham

Postcode districts in Durham

DH1 51 ⇄
DH7 41 ⇄
DH97 48 ⇄
DH98 48 ⇄
DH99 52 ⇄

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