Living in Sunderland
Police recorded 91 crimes per 1,000 residents in Sunderland in the year to April 2026, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £1,587 per m², well below the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 26.7% of households rent from the council or a housing association, above the UK average of 17.5%. About 6.1% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 60% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Sunderland at a glance
| Measure | Sunderland | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 26.7% | UK 17.5% | 24th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 91 | E, W & NI 82 | 86th highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 18 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 6.1% | GB 6.9% | 228th quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 60% | GB 56% | 117th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 48% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £1,587 | E&W council median £3,342 | 305th highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 96% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Sunderland?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 24,910 crimes in Sunderland — 91 per 1,000 residents, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 86th highest of 327 councils. That is 13% fewer than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (39%), shoplifting (14%) and criminal damage and arson (12%). Police also logged 4,964 incidents of anti-social behaviour (18 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 Sunderland?
Sunderland ranks 24th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 122,177 households, 32,586 are social homes (26.7%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Sunderland compare with the UK average?
At +9.2 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Sunderland sits above the national level.
How noisy is Sunderland?
In Sunderland, about 6.1% 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 Sunderland is the 228th 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 Sunderland?
60% of homes in Sunderland are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 48% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Sunderland 117th 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 Sunderland
What the map's other datasets say about Sunderland.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Sunderland has 125 schools — 119 state-funded and 6 independent. That includes 81 primary and 16 secondary schools. Of the 47 with a published Ofsted grade, 96% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 48 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Sunderland, offering about 2,393 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Sunderland sits in decile 3 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 46% of its 185 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £1,587 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 Sunderland 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).