Town Pop. 1,643

Living in Tow Law: Liveability Score 28/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Tow Law comes out at 28/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Broadband falls furthest short: 10/100 where the typical UK town reaches 60/100. That places it last of the 6 scored places in the DL13 postcode district.

It scores 7 points below the DL13 postcode district as a whole, which averages 35/100. That is 22 points below the national benchmark of 50, the bottom 10% of all UK towns and villages. Healthcare (3), lifestyle (14), schools (21), economic health (24) and transport (27) all fall below 30/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: DL13 postcode district.

28
OUT OF 100
Poor
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.

Tow Law scores 28 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Tow Law.
Or compare:
DL13 1AA DL13 2AB DL13 3AA DL13 4AA DL13 5AA DL13

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
44
221.5 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 137 crimes
↑ 150% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 55 crimes
↑ 120% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 50 crimes
↑ 347% above national average
Public order 29 crimes
↑ 172% above national average
Burglary 25 crimes
↑ 334% above national average
other 68 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 St Alban'S Street 47 crimes
  2. 2 Parking Area 45 crimes
  3. 3 A68 25 crimes

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

Environment
69
Air Quality NO₂ 2.806 · PM2.5 4.789 · PM10 7.008 µg/m³
82
Green Space 39
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches Some 1
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Adequate 4

Services

Schools
21
2 schools in area
2Good
  • Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow LawPrimary · inspected 2025
    Good
  • Tow Law Millennium Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsUniversity Hospital of North Durham9.1 mi
Queen Elizabeth Hospital15.9 mi
Royal Victoria Infirmary17.5 mi
Hospital waitsCounty Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust0.2 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks66.8%
A&E seen within 4 hrs70.1%
Nearest GP surgeryNorth House Surgery3.6 mi
GP capacity1,645 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
10
Full fibre (FTTP)82.9%
available across County Durham
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
0%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
0%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
98.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 73 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
24
Employment rate53.5%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed53.5%Unemployed3.6%Retired24.3%Student4%Other inactive14.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial26.6%Skilled & technical36.2%Routine & elementary37.2%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications22.7%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)9.4%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.7%Level 3 (A levels)16.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)25.3%Apprenticeship7.5%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%
Home ownership61.9%
Among the most-deprived 20% 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
27
Bishop Auckland 8.4 mi
Durham 9.7 mi
Shildon 11.1 mi
J62 A1(M) 11.8 mi
J61 A1(M) 11.9 mi
J61 A1(M) 12 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
14
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 4
Retail Shopping Adequate 9
Takeaways Adequate 4
Fitness None

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £90,000 15
5-year monthly trend
All Terraced
£65k £75k £87k £98k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Wolsingham 31 2.9 mi away ⇄
Billy Row 51 3.0 mi away ⇄
Crook 41 3.6 mi away ⇄
Esh Winning 34 4.7 mi away ⇄
Hamsterley 33 5.1 mi away ⇄
Witton-le-Wear 35 5.2 mi away ⇄
Frosterley 33 5.8 mi away ⇄
Willington (County Durham) 43 5.8 mi away ⇄
Lanchester 49 5.9 mi away ⇄
Hunwick 42 5.9 mi away ⇄
Castleside 52 6.4 mi away ⇄
Langley Park 42 6.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Tow Law a nice place to live?

Tow Law scores below average as a place to live. Our liveability score for Tow Law is 28/100, placing it among one of the lower-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Tow Law?

Tow Law has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 44/100. There were 364 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Tow Law?

Among the top-rated schools in Tow Law are Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow Law and Tow Law Millennium Primary School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 2 rated schools in Tow Law in total.

What are house prices like in Tow Law?

The current median house price in Tow Law is £90,000, around 68% below the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 12%.

Tow Law in context

See the best places to live in County Durham, ranked

Postcode districts in Tow Law

DL13 35 ⇄

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