Town Pop. 2,583

Living in Thornley: Liveability Score 40/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Thornley comes out at 40/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is broadband: 98/100 against a national town median of 60/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 35/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Thornley places 8th of 16 in the DH6 postcode district. Its broadband score runs 42 points above the DH6 district's 56/100. That is 10 points below the national benchmark of 50, the middle half of all UK towns and villages. Wider context for the surrounding area: DH6 postcode district.

40
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.

Thornley scores 40 but individual postcodes tell the full story

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

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
35
122.7 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 105 crimes
↑ 22% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 77 crimes
↑ 338% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 57 crimes
↑ 45% above national average
Burglary 18 crimes
↑ 100% above national average
Vehicle crime 16 crimes
↑ 29% above national average
other 44 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Passfield Square 40 crimes
  2. 2 High Street 31 crimes
  3. 3 Emmerson Square 24 crimes

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

Environment
58
Air Quality NO₂ 5.154 · PM2.5 5.391 · PM10 9.363 µg/m³
78
Green Space 10
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches None
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Adequate 3

Services

Schools
38
3 schools in area · 9 within 4km
3Good
  • St Godrics Catholic Primary School, ThornleyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Thornley AcademyPrimary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Wheatley Hill Community Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

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

Healthcare
17
A&E departmentsUniversity Hospital of North Durham6.3 mi
Sunderland Primary care Trust11.8 mi
Queen Elizabeth Hospital13.9 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Tees And Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust0.1 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks70.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs86.2%
Nearest GP surgeryBevan Medical Group Surgery2.1 mi
GP capacity1,883 patients per GP
0dentists1pharmacy

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
98
Full fibre (FTTP)82.9%
available across County Durham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
99.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
99.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 80 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
19
Employment rate51.6%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed51.6%Unemployed2.3%Retired27.4%Student3.5%Other inactive15.2%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial25.5%Skilled & technical34.7%Routine & elementary39.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications28%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.8%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)13.3%Level 3 (A levels)19.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)21.7%Apprenticeship5.5%Other (incl. vocational)2.2%
Home ownership63.2%
Among the most-deprived 21% 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
42
Horden 5.4 mi
Durham 6 mi
Seaham 7.2 mi
J61 A1(M) 3.3 mi
J61 A1(M) 3.7 mi
J62 A1(M) 4.6 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
21
Pubs & Bars Adequate 3
Restaurants & Cafes None
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
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 £119,750 12
5-year monthly trend
All
£86k £106k £128k £148k 2022 2023 2024 2025

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

Nearby places

Wheatley Hill 38 1.0 mi away ⇄
Shadforth 33 1.6 mi away ⇄
Shotton Colliery 37 2.1 mi away ⇄
Sherburn Hill 33 2.4 mi away ⇄
Haswell 30 2.5 mi away ⇄
Kelloe 38 2.5 mi away ⇄
Trimdon Colliery 33 2.5 mi away ⇄
Trimdon Grange 31 2.5 mi away ⇄
Hetton le Hill 0 2.9 mi away ⇄
Wingate 36 2.9 mi away ⇄
Sherburn (County Durham) 53 3.2 mi away ⇄
High Pittington 50 3.4 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Thornley a nice place to live?

Thornley has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Thornley is 40/100, 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 Thornley?

Thornley has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 35/100. There were 317 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Thornley?

Among the top-rated schools in Thornley are St Godrics Catholic Primary School, Thornley, Thornley Academy and Wheatley Hill Community Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in Thornley in total.

What are house prices like in Thornley?

The current median house price in Thornley is £119,750, around 58% below the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 5%.

Thornley in context

See the best places to live in County Durham, ranked

Postcode districts in Thornley

DH6 37 ⇄

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