Town Pop. 1,591

Living in Heighington: Liveability Score 43/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Heighington scores 43/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Heighington places 2nd of 3 in the DL5 postcode district. On schools specifically, Heighington sits 18 points below the DL5 district figure of 48/100.

Safety (92) also clears 80/100. Below 30/100: healthcare (7), lifestyle (11) and transport (25). That puts Heighington in the middle half of the UK towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the DL5 postcode district.

43
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
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.

Heighington scores 43 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Heighington.
Or compare:
DL5 4AA DL5 5AA DL5 6AA DL5 7AA DL5 9BB DL5

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
92
39 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Below the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 27 crimes
↓ 49% below national average
Anti-social behaviour 9 crimes
↓ 63% below national average
Burglary 7 crimes
↑ 26% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 6 crimes
↓ 44% below national average
Other theft 6 crimes
↓ 39% below national average
other 7 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Kieran Maxwell Lane 12 crimes
  2. 2 Hopelands 6 crimes
  3. 3 Manor Court 5 crimes

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

Environment
57
Air Quality NO₂ 4.5 · PM2.5 5.2 · PM10 9.5 µg/m³
79
Green Space 6
Parks None
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments None
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
30
1 school in area · 12 within 4km
1Good
  • Heighington Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good

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

Healthcare
7
A&E departmentsDarlington Memorial Hospital4.8 mi
University Hospital of North Durham13.1 mi
The James Cook University Hospital16.3 mi
Hospital waitsCounty Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust1.8 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs70.1%
Nearest GP surgeryPeaseway Medical Centre2.3 mi
GP capacity3,881 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
53
Full fibre (FTTP)79.1%
available across Darlington
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
76.6%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
80.1%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 44 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
68
Employment rate55%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed55%Unemployed0.8%Retired34.2%Student2.9%Other inactive7.1%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial49.3%Skilled & technical30.4%Routine & elementary20.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications12.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.2%Level 3 (A levels)18.4%Level 4+ (degree & above)41.2%Apprenticeship5.7%Other (incl. vocational)1.8%
Home ownership83.8%
Among the least-deprived 27% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
45
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

Transport
25
Heighington 1.5 mi
Newton Aycliffe 1.7 mi
Shildon 2.2 mi
J59 A1(M) 2.4 mi
J59 A1(M) 2.6 mi
J58 A1(M) 2.8 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
11
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £280,000 11
5-year monthly trend
All Detached
£214k £251k £289k £325k 2022 2023 2024 2025

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

Nearby places

School Aycliffe 38 1.1 mi away ⇄
Newton Aycliffe 46 2.2 mi away ⇄
Shildon 45 2.5 mi away ⇄
Eldon Lane and Coundon Grange 43 3.7 mi away ⇄
Beaumont Hill 39 3.7 mi away ⇄
Bishop Auckland 50 4.6 mi away ⇄
Coundon and Leeholme 40 4.7 mi away ⇄
West Auckland 39 4.8 mi away ⇄
Merrybent 38 4.8 mi away ⇄
Darlington 57 5.2 mi away ⇄
Chilton (County Durham) 36 5.2 mi away ⇄
Kirk Merrington 51 5.6 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Heighington a nice place to live?

Heighington has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Heighington is 43/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Heighington?

Heighington is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 92/100. There were 62 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Heighington?

Among the top-rated schools in Heighington is Heighington Church of England Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Heighington in total.

What are house prices like in Heighington?

The current median house price in Heighington is £280,000, in line with the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 6%.

Heighington in context

See the best places to live in County Durham, ranked

Postcode districts in Heighington

DL5 46 ⇄

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