Town Pop. 2,583

Living in West Auckland: Liveability Score 39/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

West Auckland comes out at 39/100 on the 9 categories we can score here. Broadband is where West Auckland most outperforms the national norm: 99/100 against a median of 60/100 across UK towns. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 20/100 against a town median of 88/100.

Among the 8 scored places sharing the DL14 postcode district, West Auckland ranks 7th. Against the wider DL14 district average of 44/100, that is 5 points below. Its broadband score runs 45 points above the DL14 district's 54/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: DL14 postcode district.

39
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.

West Auckland scores 39 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with West Auckland.
Or compare:
DL14 0AA DL14 4BB DL14 6AA DL14 7AB DL14 8AA DL14 9AA DL14

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
20
232.3 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Anti-social behaviour 234 crimes
↑ 496% above national average
Violence and sexual offences 170 crimes
↑ 98% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 62 crimes
↑ 253% above national average
Other theft 35 crimes
↑ 119% above national average
Burglary 19 crimes
↑ 111% above national average
other 80 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Chapel Street 83 crimes
  2. 2 Eden Grove 66 crimes
  3. 3 Mill Race 52 crimes

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

Environment
57
Air Quality NO₂ 4.9 · PM2.5 5.4 · PM10 8.7 µg/m³
79
Green Space 7
Parks Some 1
Sports Pitches None
Allotments Some 1
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts None
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds Some 2

Services

Schools
32
3 schools in area · 17 within 4km
1Good2Ungraded
  • Oakley Cross Primary School and NurseryPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Copeland Road Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
    Ungraded
  • St Helen Auckland Community Primary SchoolPrimary
    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
16
A&E departmentsDarlington Memorial Hospital8.9 mi
University Hospital of North Durham11.7 mi
The James Cook University Hospital20.6 mi
Hospital waitsNorth Tees And Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust0.5 mi
Routine referral (median)9 wks
Treated within 18 weeks70.6%
A&E seen within 4 hrs86.2%
Nearest GP surgeryEvenwood Medical Practice1.7 mi
GP capacity3,087 patients per GP
1dentist0pharmacies

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
99.9%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
99.9%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
100%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 65 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
34
Employment rate51.2%
Below the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed51.2%Unemployed3.2%Retired28.8%Student3.1%Other inactive13.7%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial27.6%Skilled & technical33.9%Routine & elementary38.6%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications25.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.1%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.2%Level 3 (A levels)17.8%Level 4+ (degree & above)22.1%Apprenticeship7.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.1%
Home ownership66.2%
Among the most-deprived 28% 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 C
Water Northumbrian Water
Average bill regional £435/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
54
Bishop Auckland 2.5 mi
Shildon 3.4 mi
Newton Aycliffe 5.4 mi
J59 A1(M) 7.2 mi
J58 A1(M) 7.2 mi
J59 A1(M) 7.3 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
30
Pubs & Bars Some 2
Restaurants & Cafes Some 1
Supermarkets & Convenience Adequate 3
Retail Shopping Some 5
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness None

Places like West Auckland Pro

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House Prices

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

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £106,000 14
5-year monthly trend
All Semi Terraced
£73k £97k £122k £147k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

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

Nearby places

Evenwood 40 1.6 mi away ⇄
Toft Hill and High Etherley 48 1.8 mi away ⇄
Bishop Auckland 50 2.0 mi away ⇄
Witton Park 47 2.4 mi away ⇄
Eldon Lane and Coundon Grange 43 3.1 mi away ⇄
Shildon 45 3.1 mi away ⇄
Cockfield 47 3.7 mi away ⇄
Witton-le-Wear 35 3.9 mi away ⇄
Hunwick 42 4.1 mi away ⇄
Coundon and Leeholme 40 4.4 mi away ⇄
Heighington 43 4.8 mi away ⇄
Staindrop 34 4.9 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is West Auckland a nice place to live?

West Auckland has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for West Auckland is 39/100, 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 West Auckland?

Crime levels in West Auckland are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 20/100. There were 600 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in West Auckland?

Among the top-rated schools in West Auckland is Oakley Cross Primary School and Nursery, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 3 rated schools in West Auckland in total.

What are house prices like in West Auckland?

The current median house price in West Auckland is £106,000, around 63% below the England and Wales average. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 14%.

West Auckland in context

See the best places to live in County Durham, ranked

Postcode districts in West Auckland

DL14 44 ⇄

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