Town Pop. 19,430

Living in Seaham: Liveability Score 46/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Seaham is 46/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is transport: 59/100 against a national town median of 21/100. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 26/100 versus a median of 88/100.

On the national picture that lands Seaham in the middle half of all the places we score. For the surrounding area, see SR7 postcode district.

46
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.

Seaham scores 46 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Seaham.
Or compare:
SR7 0AA SR7 1BA SR7 7AA SR7 8AA SR7 9AA SR7

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
26
141.4 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 830 crimes
↑ 28% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 495 crimes
↑ 68% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 413 crimes
↑ 213% above national average
Shoplifting 338 crimes
↑ 123% above national average
Other theft 168 crimes
↑ 39% above national average
other 503 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Queensbury Road 162 crimes
  2. 2 Shopping Area 82 crimes
  3. 3 Parking Area 75 crimes

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

Environment
57
Air Quality NO₂ 6.8 · PM2.5 5.6 · PM10 10.5 µg/m³
76
Green Space 14
Parks Ample 21
Sports Pitches Ample 8
Allotments Ample 8
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens Adequate 3
Playgrounds Ample 10

Services

Schools
52
9 schools in area · 12 within 4km
1Outstanding7Good1Ungraded
  • Seaham Harbour Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2024
    Outstanding
  • New Seaham AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Ropery Walk Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Seaham High SchoolSecondary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Seaham Trinity Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Seaview Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, SeahamPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Westlea Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2025
    Ungraded

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
54
A&E departmentsSunderland Primary care Trust5.9 mi
South Tyneside District Hospital8.5 mi
University Hospital of North Durham9.2 mi
Hospital waitsCounty Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust0.6 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs70.1%
3 GP surgeries in area 4 within 4km best 'Good'
GP capacity2,491 patients per GP
2dentists8pharmacies

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
55
Full fibre (FTTP)82.9%
available across County Durham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
96.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
96.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.8%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 502 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
29
Employment rate50.3%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed50.3%Unemployed3%Retired26.1%Student4.1%Other inactive16.5%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial29.3%Skilled & technical33.5%Routine & elementary37.3%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications25.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.1%Level 3 (A levels)17%Level 4+ (degree & above)22.8%Apprenticeship6.2%Other (incl. vocational)3%
Home ownership61.9%
Among the most-deprived 31% 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 Yorkshire Water
Average bill regional £437/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
59
Seaham 0.3 mi
Park Lane 4.8 mi
University 4.9 mi
J62 A1(M) 7.5 mi
J62 A1(M) 7.9 mi
J63 A1(M) 8.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
39
Pubs & Bars Ample 14
Restaurants & Cafes Ample 15
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 14
Retail Shopping Ample 24
Takeaways Ample 19
Fitness Adequate 3

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £138,000 147
Detached £253,000 27
Semi-detached £155,000 41
Terraced £110,000 75
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£80k £159k £240k £319k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Murton (County Durham) 42 2.0 mi away ⇄
South Hetton 39 3.4 mi away ⇄
Easington (County Durham) 37 3.5 mi away ⇄
Easington Lane 48 4.0 mi away ⇄
Hetton-le-Hole 50 4.3 mi away ⇄
Haswell 30 4.5 mi away ⇄
Houghton-le-Spring 53 5.0 mi away ⇄
Sunderland 63 5.0 mi away ⇄
Horden 52 5.0 mi away ⇄
Peterlee 48 5.2 mi away ⇄
Hetton le Hill 0 5.3 mi away ⇄
East Rainton 57 5.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Seaham a nice place to live?

Seaham has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Seaham is 46/100, 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 Seaham?

Crime levels in Seaham are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 26/100. There were 2,747 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Seaham?

Among the top-rated schools in Seaham are Seaham Harbour Nursery School, New Seaham Academy and Ropery Walk Primary School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 9 rated schools in Seaham in total.

What are house prices like in Seaham?

The current median house price in Seaham is £138,000, around 52% below the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £253,000, semi-detached £155,000, terraced £110,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 9%. There were 147 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Seaham in context

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

Postcode districts in Seaham

SR7 46 ⇄

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