Cotherstone’s story
13 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Cotherstone’s built-up area.
58% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
CotherstoneCounty Durham
554 people live in this village in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Christine Johnstone · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
554
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£274K
25 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.6
31% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
42%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Cotherstone a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Cotherstone has no grades; its figures are still real. Pre-1919 homes make up 58% of the housing. 13% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Over-65s are 31% of the population.
What makes Cotherstone stand out
The 3 things Cotherstone does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cotherstone.
Who lives here
Cotherstone skews older, with 31% of residents 65 or over, more than in County Durham’s towns and across England’s towns
Half the people of Cotherstone are older than 55.6. Children under 15 make up 13%, lower than both County Durham’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 6.9% of the town.
55.6median age
CotherstoneCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications18%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level42%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Cotherstone | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 6.9% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 12% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 37% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 18% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 42% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Cotherstone
The town has one school, shown below. Its one primary school teaches 66 pupils.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotherstone Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 66 | D− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Under 5 km to work: 27% in Cotherstone, fewer than in County Durham’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 42% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 86% of commuters, above County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Working from home was the norm for 42% of workers at the census. 6% of commuters who live in Cotherstone also work there. Households take home £44K a year before tax, on average.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot9%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
27%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£44K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Housing
More households own their home in Cotherstone than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 77%
Private renters make up 9% of households, lower than both County Durham’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (21%). 12% of households live in social housing. From September 2023 to August 2026, 25 homes sold inside Cotherstone’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £273,500.
£274Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Cotherstone£274K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £425,000 | 12 |
| Terraced | £216,000 | 10 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,580
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
Homes in Cotherstone see less burglary and damage than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 4.8 per 1,000 a year
Per 1,000 residents, 16.9 violent crimes are recorded each year. In the 12 months to August 2026, police logged 19 crimes and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour inside Cotherstone’s built-up area. There were 1.2 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both County Durham’s towns (16.3) and England’s towns (7.8). 63% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
16.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual12
Burglary4
Public order1
Vehicle crime1
Other crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Other theft0
Anti-social1
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.
16.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
1.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
19
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
Bad health is less common in Cotherstone than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.5% of residents
At the census, 83% of people in Cotherstone called their health good or very good, higher than County Durham’s towns (77%) and near England’s towns (82%). Disability touches just over a fifth of the town’s population. This County Durham town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3.3 miles away.
83%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Cotherstone | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.5% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 22% | 17% |
79.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
83
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
Much of Cotherstone is a conservation area: 89% of its land, more than in County Durham’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Cotherstone has 235 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above both County Durham’s towns (7) and England’s towns (39). Its heritage register entries (13 listed buildings) are all Grade II.
13listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II13
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
58%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
235
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Barnard Castle Grounds and 2 more in and around Cotherstone
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Cotherstone. Best known first.
Castle · English HeritageBarnard Castle Grounds4.3 km outside town, to the southeast
Museum · English HeritageThe Bowes Museum4.9 km outside town, to the southeast
Historic houseLartington Hall1.4 km outside town, to the southeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Barnard Castle Grounds: Robert Scarth from London, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Bowes Museum: Alden Chadwick, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lartington Hall: TSP, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cotherstone
13pages on Cotherstone
The big questions
Safety16.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £274K · rent £650 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 79.5 (men), 83 (women)Work & commute55% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards2.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Cotherstone’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
StartforthBarnard CastleStaindropCockfieldEvenwoodGainfordToft Hill and High EtherleyCotherstone
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotherstone | 554 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Startforth | 1,391 | 2.9 | — | C+ | D− | B− |
| Barnard Castle | 5,783 | 3.1 | B+ | C+ | C+ | C+ |
| Staindrop | 1,339 | 7.1 | — | B | C+ | C+ |
| Cockfield | 1,351 | 7.5 | — | A | C | C |
| Evenwood | 1,587 | 9.5 | — | A− | D | C |
| Gainford | 1,127 | 10 | — | B− | A− | C+ |
| Toft Hill and High Etherley | 1,865 | 11 | — | A− | B+ | C |
Startforth, Staindrop, Cockfield, Evenwood, Gainford and Toft Hill and High Etherley have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Cotherstone
How many listed buildings are there in Cotherstone?
That is 9.6 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Cotherstone?
Band D council tax in Cotherstone is £2,580 for 2026–27, more than in 82% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire, plus the parish or town council). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Cotherstone
Village in County Durham, England
Cotherstone is a built-up area of 554 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
- 554 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000313
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.