Town Pop. 521

Living in Shadforth: Liveability Score 33/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Shadforth is 33/100, built from 9 categories. Broadband is where Shadforth most outperforms the national norm: 99/100 against a median of 60/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 28/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That makes it the 13th highest-scoring of the 16 places in the DH6 postcode district. Its categories are unusually uneven: 92 points separate broadband (99) from healthcare (7), a wider spread than about nine in ten UK towns. Its broadband score runs 43 points above the DH6 district's 56/100. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the DH6 postcode district.

33
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.

Shadforth scores 33 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Shadforth.
Or compare:
DH6 1AA DH6 2AA DH6 3AA DH6 4AA DH6 5AA DH6

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
28
485.6 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 86 crimes
↑ 396% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 55 crimes
↑ 595% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 37 crimes
↑ 944% above national average
Public order 20 crimes
↑ 491% above national average
Burglary 19 crimes
↑ 943% above national average
other 36 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Kell Crescent 48 crimes
  2. 2 Moor Crescent 25 crimes
  3. 3 Margaret Street 18 crimes

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

Environment
60
Air Quality NO₂ 4.915 · PM2.5 5.36 · PM10 10.361 µg/m³
78
Green Space 18
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
18

School inspection data is not available for this area.

Healthcare
7
A&E departmentsUniversity Hospital of North Durham4.9 mi
Sunderland Primary care Trust10.9 mi
Queen Elizabeth Hospital12.4 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Tees And Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust1.6 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks70.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs86.2%
Nearest GP surgeryBelmont & Sherburn Medical Group1.8 mi
GP capacity4,034 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)82.9%
available across County Durham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
100%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
100%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 16 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
20
Employment rate56.2%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed56.2%Unemployed4.6%Retired19.6%Student3.7%Other inactive15.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial32.5%Skilled & technical33.7%Routine & elementary33.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications19.8%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.7%Level 3 (A levels)16.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)31.2%Apprenticeship5.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.4%
Home ownership59.7%
Among the most-deprived 18% 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
34
Durham 4.6 mi
Horden 6.5 mi
Seaham 7.1 mi
J61 A1(M) 2.9 mi
J62 A1(M) 3 mi
J62 A1(M) 3.2 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
12
Pubs & Bars Some 1
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 Shadforth 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

Sherburn Hill 33 0.8 mi away ⇄
Thornley 40 1.6 mi away ⇄
Sherburn (County Durham) 53 1.7 mi away ⇄
Hetton le Hill 0 1.9 mi away ⇄
High Pittington 50 2.0 mi away ⇄
Haswell 30 2.5 mi away ⇄
Wheatley Hill 38 2.5 mi away ⇄
High Shincliffe 54 2.9 mi away ⇄
Kelloe 38 3.0 mi away ⇄
Bowburn 41 3.1 mi away ⇄
Shotton Colliery 37 3.1 mi away ⇄
Easington Lane 48 3.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Shadforth a nice place to live?

Shadforth has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Shadforth is 33/100, 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 Shadforth?

Crime levels in Shadforth are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 28/100. There were 253 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

Shadforth in context

See the best places to live in County Durham, ranked

Postcode districts in Shadforth

DH6 37 ⇄

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