Town Pop. 2,264

Living in Tanfield Lea: Liveability Score 51/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Tanfield Lea comes out at 51/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Transport is where Tanfield Lea most outperforms the national norm: 57/100 against a median of 21/100 across UK towns. Economic health falls furthest short: 31/100 where the typical UK town reaches 67/100.

No other settlement in the DH9 postcode district scores higher. Tanfield Lea leads all 8. Against the wider DH9 district average of 46/100, that is 5 points above. That puts Tanfield Lea in the top quarter of the UK towns and villages we score. For the surrounding area, see DH9 postcode district.

51
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.

Tanfield Lea scores 51 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Tanfield Lea.
Or compare:
DH9 0AB DH9 6AA DH9 7AA DH9 8AA DH9 9AA DH9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
54
149.7 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 114 crimes
↑ 51% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 98 crimes
↑ 185% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 36 crimes
↑ 134% above national average
Vehicle crime 24 crimes
↑ 121% above national average
Public order 19 crimes
↑ 29% above national average
other 48 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 Good Street 125 crimes
  2. 2 North Leigh 32 crimes
  3. 3 Further/Higher Educational Building 19 crimes

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

Environment
78
Air Quality NO₂ 5.934 · PM2.5 5.489 · PM10 8.296 µg/m³
78
Green Space 77
Parks Adequate 4
Sports Pitches Adequate 3
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses Some 1
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 1

Services

Schools
44
5 schools in area · 22 within 4km
4Good1Ungraded
  • North Durham AcademySecondary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Oxhill Nursery SchoolNursery · inspected 2025
    Good
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary, StanleyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Tanfield Lea Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
    Good
  • Tanfield SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    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
38
A&E departmentsQueen Elizabeth Hospital5.9 mi
Royal Victoria Infirmary6.9 mi
University Hospital of North Durham7.4 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%
Nearest GP surgeryTanfield View Medical Group0.8 mi
GP capacity1,915 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
67
Full fibre (FTTP)82.9%
available across County Durham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
86.1%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
83.7%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 52 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
31
Employment rate53.7%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed53.7%Unemployed3.1%Retired27.8%Student3.3%Other inactive11.9%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial29.7%Skilled & technical32.5%Routine & elementary37.8%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications21.1%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.5%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)16.4%Level 3 (A levels)18.2%Level 4+ (degree & above)24.4%Apprenticeship7.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.1%
Home ownership65.7%
Among the most-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
57
Dunston 5.5 mi
Chester-le-Street 5.5 mi
MetroCentre 5.6 mi
J63 A1(M) 5.7 mi
J65 A1(M) 5.9 mi
J64 A1(M) 5.9 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
37
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Some 1
Retail Shopping Some 2
Takeaways Some 2
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £130,500 14
5-year monthly trend
All Terraced
£83k £136k £190k £244k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Tantobie 48 0.8 mi away ⇄
Stanley (County Durham) 49 1.2 mi away ⇄
Hobson 52 1.4 mi away ⇄
Dipton 50 1.8 mi away ⇄
Annfield Plain 47 1.9 mi away ⇄
Burnopfield 53 2.0 mi away ⇄
Beamish 42 2.0 mi away ⇄
Craghead 45 2.6 mi away ⇄
West Pelton 51 2.8 mi away ⇄
Hamsterley Mill 52 3.2 mi away ⇄
Rowlands Gill 53 3.3 mi away ⇄
Sunniside 42 3.3 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Tanfield Lea a nice place to live?

Tanfield Lea is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Tanfield Lea is 51/100, 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 Tanfield Lea?

Tanfield Lea has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 54/100. There were 339 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Tanfield Lea?

Among the top-rated schools in Tanfield Lea are North Durham Academy, Oxhill Nursery School and St Joseph's Catholic Primary, Stanley, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 5 rated schools in Tanfield Lea in total.

What are house prices like in Tanfield Lea?

The current median house price in Tanfield Lea is £130,500, around 54% below the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 19%.

Tanfield Lea in context

See the best places to live in County Durham, ranked

Postcode districts in Tanfield Lea

DH9 46 ⇄

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