Billy Row’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Billy Row’s built-up area.
64% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Billy RowCounty Durham
A village of 1,254 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Oliver Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,254
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£98K
53 sales in 3 years
Median age
39.6
15% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
24%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Billy Row a good place to live?
Billy Row has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is jobs & income (C−): mean household income £39,166; 2.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. The median home sold for £98,000 in the last three years, 2.3 times what households in the County Durham council area earn in a year.
What makes Billy Row stand out
The 3 things Billy Row does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
65% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
How Billy Row grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Billy Row is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard riskAOpen →Cost of livingrent £650 a monthAOpen →Jobs & incomeC−Open →HealthLife expectancy 77.7 for men, 81.8 for womenC−Open →WalkabilityC−Open →Safety25.5 violent and sexual offences and 12.5 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026C+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 53% of towns in EnglandB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingC+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 2.3 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life1.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Billy Row.
HousingCost of living grade A
Billy Row gets an A for cost of living grade
The median sale price was £98K, below both County Durham’s towns (£144K) and England’s towns (£308K). 13% of households live in social housing.
£98Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Billy Row£98K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £225,000 | 11 |
| Semi-detached | £112,500 | 8 |
| Terraced | £76,500 | 34 |
65%
of households own their home · England 61%
22%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,500
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
SchoolsB−
Results at Billy Row’s schools beat 54% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
B−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley (Crook) Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 128 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
Life expectancy in Billy Row is shorter than in 81% of UK towns
Women here live to 81.8 on average and men to 77.7 (2019–23). Billy Row has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.3 miles away. At the census, 22% of people here had a disability, close to County Durham’s towns (22%) and above England’s towns (17%).
80%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Billy Row | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.4% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 22% | 17% |
77.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Commuters in Billy Row travel far: only 23% go under 5 km, fewer than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
On this, Billy Row is below both County Durham’s towns (41%) and England’s towns (45%). At the census, 10% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot5%
Bus3%
Bicycle2%
23%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£39K
mean household income, before tax
2.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 25% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Old homes shape Billy Row: 64% were built before 1919, more than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
In the comparison, Billy Row comes above both County Durham’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (16%). Billy Row has 1 listed building on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
1listed buildingsC+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
64%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
8
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Billy Row records 12.5 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, against 18.3 in County Durham’s towns and 9.4 in England’s towns
Police recorded 70 crimes inside Billy Row’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violent crime ran at 25.5 per 1,000 residents a year, below County Durham’s towns (36.6) and close to England’s towns (22). Violence and sexual offences were 51% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
25.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 20% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual36
Damage & arson8
Public order7
Other crime6
Other theft5
Vehicle crime4
Burglary2
Weapons2
Anti-social5
Not gradedAnti-social behaviour, shoplifting and other theft are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence and crimes against homes and vehicles per resident.
25.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.3
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
70
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Who lives here
A town of families: 20% of people in Billy Row are under 15, more than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns
For Billy Row, that is above both County Durham’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). People 65 and over make up 15% of the town. Billy Row has a median age of 39.6.
39.6median age
Billy RowCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
10%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level24%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Billy Row | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 27% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 15% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.3% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 24% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Billy Row
13pages on Billy Row
The big questions
SafetyC+25.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingAMedian home £98K · rent £650 a monthHousing17 sold in 12 months · busiest street Mount PleasantSchoolsB−1 state schoolHealthC−Life expectancy 77.7 (men), 81.8 (women)Work & commuteC−39% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Billy Row’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
CrookWillingtonEsh WinningTow LawNew BrancepethBrandonLangley ParkBilly Row
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Row | 1,254 | — | — | A | C+ | C− |
| Crook | 9,717 | 1.7 | C− | A | D | D |
| Willington | 5,685 | 2.7 | D | A− | D− | D− |
| Esh Winning | 3,877 | 2.9 | C | A− | C− | D |
| Tow Law | 1,796 | 2.9 | — | A− | D | D− |
| New Brancepeth | 1,280 | 4.4 | — | A | D | D |
| Brandon | 9,508 | 4.9 | B− | A− | D | D |
| Langley Park | 4,031 | 5.1 | C− | A− | C− | C− |
Tow Law and New Brancepeth have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Billy Row
Is Billy Row expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £98,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £76,500, semi-detached houses £112,500 and detached houses £225,000.
How many listed buildings are there in Billy Row?
1 on Historic England’s list.
About Billy Row
Village in County Durham, England
Billy Row is a built-up area of 1,254 people, in the County Durham council area. TownRatings uses ONS’s 2022 built-up areas as towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a council district, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from ONS geography and Census 2021
- Population
- 1,254 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000215
Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · HM Land Registry Price Paid (standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026) · ONS Price Index of Private Rents (August 2026, by council) · MHCLG and Welsh Government council tax, Band D 2026–27 (with parish precepts in England) · data.police.uk street-level crime, 36 months to August 2026, points inside the built-up-area boundary · ONS small-area life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, 2019 to 2023 (England and Wales), OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (England) and Census 2021 health, adjusted for age · ONS small-area income estimates (financial year ending 2023) · DWP claimant count via Nomis (January to August 2026) · Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.