Castleside’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Castleside’s built-up area.
32% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
CastlesideCounty Durham
A village of 1,532 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,532
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£156K
62 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.3
27% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
5%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Castleside a good place to live?
Castleside has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 12.4 violent and sexual offences and 5.4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is walkability (D−): 5% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £155,975 in the last three years, 3.7 times what households in the County Durham council area earn in a year.
What makes Castleside stand out
The 3 things Castleside does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
5% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
44% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Castleside grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Castleside is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 8% of towns in EnglandD−Open →SafetyAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →HealthLife expectancy 77.2 for men, 80.2 for womenC−Open →Cost of livingrent £650 a monthA−Open →Jobs & incomeC−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 42% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeB+Open →Civic life2 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 Castleside.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Castleside is a driving town: 93% of commuters go by car, above County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 27% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 2.5% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below County Durham’s towns (3.1%) but above England’s towns (2.3%). 28% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work. Work in town: 3% of resident commuters. A household here earns £45K a year before tax, on average.
5%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving93%
On foot3%
Bus2%
28%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
27%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£45K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: more walkable than 2% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsD−
School results in Castleside are weaker than in 95% of towns in England
Key Stage 2 results at the 8 primary schools within 3 km: half of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The one school in town appears below. Its one primary school teaches 83 pupils.
D−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castleside Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 83 | D− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
Per resident, Castleside sees less crime than 88% of UK towns
Reported offences in Castleside came to 31 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 2. There were 5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both County Durham’s towns (16.5) and England’s towns (7.8). Nearly two thirds of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
12.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 77% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual20
Damage & arson5
Other crime3
Vehicle crime2
Drugs1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Anti-social2
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.
12.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
31
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Health
Castleside’s life expectancy trails 90% of UK towns
The nearest A&E to Castleside is University Hospital North Durham, 11.6 miles away. At the census, 5% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below County Durham’s towns (7.3%) and close to England’s towns (5.2%). This County Durham town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 2.2 miles away. 19% of residents in Castleside live with a disability.
80%good or very good healthC−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 80%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Castleside | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 22% | 17% |
77.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
80.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
HousingCost of living grade A−
More households own their home in Castleside than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 85%
5% live in social housing, lower than both County Durham’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). The private rented sector houses just over one in ten households. Half of the 62 standard sales inside Castleside’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £155,975.
£156Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Castleside£156K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £275,000 | 15 |
| Semi-detached | £145,000 | 33 |
| Terraced | £134,500 | 14 |
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,531
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
Old homes shape Castleside: 32% were built before 1919, more than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Its heritage register entries (1 listed building) are all Grade II. For its size, Castleside has 7 listed buildings per 10,000 residents.
1listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
32%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
7
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up only 13% of Castleside, fewer than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
27% of residents are 65 or over, above both County Durham’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (18%). Ages in Castleside split evenly at 50.3: half are older, half younger. Degrees are held by 30% of adults.
50.3median age
CastlesideCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Castleside | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.5% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Castleside
13pages on Castleside
The big questions
SafetyA12.4 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £156K · rent £650 a monthHousing19 sold in 12 months · busiest street Consett RoadSchoolsD−1 state schoolHealthC−Life expectancy 77.2 (men), 80.2 (women)Work & commuteC−44% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Castleside’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ConsettLeadgateMedomsleyBlackhall MillLanchesterAnnfield PlainDiptonCastleside
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castleside | 1,532 | — | — | A− | A | C− |
| Consett | 29,874 | 1.9 | C | A− | C | D |
| Leadgate | 3,339 | 3.2 | C− | A | D | D |
| Medomsley | 1,216 | 4.1 | — | A− | C | C+ |
| Blackhall Mill | 1,528 | 5.1 | — | B+ | B | C |
| Lanchester | 3,510 | 5.2 | B+ | B+ | B | B− |
| Annfield Plain | 7,786 | 5.6 | D | A− | D | D− |
| Dipton | 2,653 | 5.7 | B− | A− | C | D |
Medomsley and Blackhall Mill have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Castleside
Are schools in Castleside good?
Primary results trail 92% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by County Durham council.
How many listed buildings are there in Castleside?
1 on Historic England’s list.
Is Castleside expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £155,975, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £134,500, semi-detached houses £145,000 and detached houses £275,000.
About Castleside
Village in County Durham, England
Castleside is a built-up area of 1,532 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
- 1,532 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000169
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.