Town Pop. 123

Living in Merrybent: Liveability Score 38/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Merrybent comes out at 38/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is broadband: 99/100 against a national town median of 60/100. Schools falls furthest short: 4/100 where the typical UK town reaches 23/100.

That makes it the 5th highest-scoring of the 8 places in the DL2 postcode district. Merrybent is a place of extremes: 99/100 for broadband against 3/100 for healthcare, a 96-point spread wider than roughly nine in ten UK towns. On broadband specifically, Merrybent sits 73 points above the DL2 district figure of 26/100. For the surrounding area, see DL2 postcode district.

38
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.

Merrybent scores 38 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Merrybent.
Or compare:
DL2 1AA DL2 2AA DL2 3AA DL2

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
81
1,276.4 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 46 crimes
↑ 1023% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 24 crimes
↑ 1184% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 22 crimes
↑ 2531% above national average
Other theft 18 crimes
↑ 2260% above national average
Burglary 15 crimes
↑ 3386% above national average
other 32 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 B6275 20 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 13 crimes
  3. 3 High Road 12 crimes

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

Environment
56
Air Quality NO₂ 5.3 · PM2.5 5.4 · PM10 11.4 µg/m³
77
Green Space 7
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches None
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
4

School inspection data is not available for this area.

Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsDarlington Memorial Hospital2.1 mi
Friarage Hospital14.6 mi
The James Cook University Hospital16.3 mi
Hospital waitsCounty Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust1.3 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs70.1%
Nearest GP surgeryCarmel Medical Practice1.8 mi
GP capacity2,103 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
99
Full fibre (FTTP)79.1%
available across Darlington
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
100%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
100%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 5 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
72
Employment rate64%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed64%Unemployed1.9%Retired22.2%Student4.2%Other inactive7.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial48.4%Skilled & technical34.8%Routine & elementary16.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications10.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)7.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14%Level 3 (A levels)19.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)41%Apprenticeship5.3%Other (incl. vocational)1.9%
Home ownership80.7%
Among the least-deprived 33% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
39
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 E
Water Northumbrian Water
Average bill regional £435/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
4
North Road 3 mi
Darlington 3.2 mi
Heighington 5.2 mi
J57 A1(M) 2.1 mi
J58 A1(M) 2.2 mi
J58 A1(M) 2.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
5
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness None

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Merrybent in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Darlington 57 2.9 mi away ⇄
Barton (Richmondshire) 38 3.6 mi away ⇄
Beaumont Hill 39 3.9 mi away ⇄
Hurworth-on-Tees 44 4.5 mi away ⇄
Gainford 38 4.7 mi away ⇄
Melsonby 48 4.7 mi away ⇄
Heighington 43 4.8 mi away ⇄
Dalton-on-Tees 0 5.6 mi away ⇄
Middleton Tyas 38 5.6 mi away ⇄
School Aycliffe 38 5.7 mi away ⇄
Sadberge 23 6.3 mi away ⇄
Newton Aycliffe 46 6.5 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Merrybent a nice place to live?

Merrybent has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Merrybent is 38/100, 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 Merrybent?

Merrybent is a relatively safe area to live. Our safety score is 81/100. There were 157 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

Merrybent in context

See the best places to live in County Durham, ranked

Postcode districts in Merrybent

DL2 39 ⇄

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