Living in County Durham
Police recorded 96 crimes per 1,000 residents in County Durham in the year to April 2026, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £1,527 per m², well below the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 20.0% of households rent from the council or a housing association, above the UK average of 17.5%. About 4.3% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 44% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
County Durham at a glance
| Measure | County Durham | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 20.0% | UK 17.5% | 82nd highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 96 | E, W & NI 82 | 68th highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 23 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 4.3% | GB 6.9% | 126th quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 44% | GB 56% | 234th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 51% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £1,527 | E&W council median £3,342 | 311th highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 85% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in County Durham?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 50,145 crimes in County Durham — 96 per 1,000 residents, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 68th highest of 327 councils. That is 3% more than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (42%), criminal damage and arson (15%) and shoplifting (12%). Police also logged 11,849 incidents of anti-social behaviour (23 per 1,000 residents).
Rates are per resident, so council areas with busy city centres, shopping or nightlife districts show higher rates than residents alone would suggest. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in County Durham?
County Durham ranks 82nd of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 234,699 households, 46,849 are social homes (20.0%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does County Durham compare with the UK average?
At +2.5 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, County Durham sits above the national level.
How noisy is County Durham?
In County Durham, about 4.3% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB Lden or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and County Durham is the 126th quietest of 363 councils mapped.
Estimated from the official strategic noise maps: the share of each census area at 65 dB or more, weighted by its households. See noisy roads and railways on the map →
How close are parks in County Durham?
44% of homes in County Durham are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 51% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts County Durham 234th of 363 councils for access to a park.
Straight-line distance from the centre of each census area to the edge of the nearest site in OS Open Greenspace, weighted by households. See parks and play spaces on the map →
Schools, prices and more in County Durham
What the map's other datasets say about County Durham.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, County Durham has 281 schools — 269 state-funded and 12 independent. That includes 208 primary and 30 secondary schools. Of the 116 with a published Ofsted grade, 85% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 114 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in County Durham, offering about 5,814 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in County Durham sits in decile 3 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 40% of its 330 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £1,527 per m², from Land Registry sold prices matched to EPC floor areas.
Broadband
Median available download speed is about 1,000 Mbit/s — what can be ordered, not what residents have bought (Ofcom Connected Nations).
Explore County Durham on the map
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); data.police.uk, May 2025 to April 2026 (crime); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).