Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
In County Durham, North East, this village has 1,147 residents.
School results are strong (A−): primary results beat 86% of towns in England; secondary results beat 65% of towns in England. It also does well on cost of living — the median home sold for £172,500, 4 years of area income. Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work (D): 8% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for safety and B− for jobs & income.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · income, ONS · claimants, DWP. With fewer than 2,500 residents, High Pittington has subject grades but no overall one.
The 3 things High Pittington does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far High Pittington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
With fewer than 2,500 residents, High Pittington has subject grades but no overall one.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists them inside High Pittington’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in High Pittington.
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.
Nearly nine in ten commuters drove, above both County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%). The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.5%. Household income averages £43K a year before tax.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Its only school is listed below. At the 6 primary schools within 3 km, 69% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittington Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 196 | A− |
79% of High Pittington’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, above County Durham’s towns (77%) but below England’s towns (82%). At the census, 5.6% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.2 miles away. Women here live to 82.2 on average and men to 79.2 (2019–23).
| Census 2021 | High Pittington | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.6% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 22% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
13% of households live in social housing. Private renters make up just over one in ten households, below County Durham’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. Behind the median of £172,500: 52 standard sales inside High Pittington’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £260,000 | 15 |
| Semi-detached | £156,750 | 24 |
| Terraced | £127,500 | 12 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Per 1,000 residents, 14.5 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded a year. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 54 recorded crimes inside High Pittington’s built-up area, and 8 reports of anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 5.8 reports per 1,000, below both County Durham’s towns (16.5) and England’s towns (7.8). Of all the crimes, 43% were violence and sexual offences.
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.
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.
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Conservation areas cover 16% of High Pittington’s land, above both County Durham’s towns (0%) and England’s towns (7%). The town’s listed buildings include the Church of St Laurence, Grade I. Listed buildings per head: 52 for every 10,000 residents of the town.
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Degrees are held by 38% of adults, higher than both County Durham’s towns (27%) and England’s towns (34%). Retirement age and beyond: 23% of residents are 65 or older. The median resident of High Pittington is 47.7 years old. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for just over a tenth of the town.
52% women, 48% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| High Pittington | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 23% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Pittington | 1,147 | — | — | B+ | B− | C− |
| Sherburn | 2,796 | 1.3 | B− | A− | C− | C− |
| West Rainton | 2,323 | 1.6 | — | B | D | C− |
| East Rainton | 1,476 | 2.2 | — | C+ | C+ | D |
| Hetton-le-Hole | 8,968 | 2.4 | C | A− | D | D− |
| Easington Lane | 4,170 | 2.4 | C+ | A | D | D− |
| Haswell | 1,185 | 2.9 | — | A− | C | D− |
| South Hetton | 2,877 | 3.2 | B− | A− | C | D |
West Rainton, East Rainton and Haswell have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
That is 2.1 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Laurence. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
Secondary results are closer to the middle, beating 65%. One state school is inside the town; places are handled by County Durham council.
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £172,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £127,500, semi-detached houses £156,750 and detached houses £260,000.
Village in County Durham, England
High Pittington is a built-up area of 1,147 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
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.