High Shincliffe’s story
No listed buildings inside High Shincliffe’s built-up area
12% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
High ShincliffeCounty Durham
1,045 people live in this village in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,045
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£285K
34 sales in 3 years
Median age
55.9
33% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
59%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is High Shincliffe a good place to live?
High Shincliffe’s best grade is for safety — 6.1 violent or sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, plus 2.9 home and vehicle crimes. Add jobs & income to its strengths — mean household income £47,723; 1.6% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Homes are dear: a typical home costs £285,000 and rent runs £650 a month. Hazard risk is lower than in most UK towns (A).
Figures: crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · income, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · flood risk, Environment Agency. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so High Shincliffe has its subject grades alone.
What makes High Shincliffe stand out
The 3 things High Shincliffe does most differently from other towns.
How High Shincliffe grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far High Shincliffe is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
SafetyNear the top of the towns comparedA+Open →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentA−Open →Cost of livingMedian sale £285,000, 6.7 years of area incomeCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 79.4 for men, 81.4 for womenC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 54% of towns in England; secondary results beat 65% of towns in EnglandBOpen →WalkabilityMost errands need a carC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 0.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB−Open →Civic life5.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Durham Castle and 6 more in and around High Shincliffe
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near High Shincliffe. Best known first.
CastleDurham Castle2.8 km outside town, to the northwest
CathedralDurham Cathedral2.6 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumOriental Museum2.4 km outside town, to the northwest · 19K visitors a year
GardenDurham University Botanic Garden2 km outside town, to the west
MuseumDurham Museum2.6 km outside town, to the northwestAttractionAttraction · National TrustCrook Hall Gardens3.3 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Durham Castle: Carla Brain, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Durham Cathedral: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Oriental Museum: Wereon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Durham University Botanic Garden: Ken Walton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Durham Museum: User:Jungpionier (assumed), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in High Shincliffe.
Who lives here
High Shincliffe is a graduates’ town: 59% hold a degree, more than in County Durham’s towns and across England’s towns
Under-15s account for just over a tenth of the population. A third of residents are 65 or over, above both County Durham’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 are 7.7% of the population. The middle age in High Shincliffe is 55.9.
55.9median age
High ShincliffeCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
33%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar10%
Degree level59%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 89 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 Shincliffe | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 15% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 32% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 33% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 10% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3.2% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 10% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 59% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsB
On exam results, High Shincliffe’s schools beat 62% of towns in England
Secondary results at the one secondary school within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 48.6, with 48% at grade 5 or above in English and maths. Its only school is listed below. 195 pupils attend High Shincliffe’s one primary school.
BSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shincliffe CofE (Controlled) Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 195 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Safety
High Shincliffe records less crime per resident than 99% of UK towns
A third of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences. Over the year to August 2026, 9 offences were reported in High Shincliffe, along with 2 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Also worth knowing: among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, High Shincliffe has less crime per resident than 98% of them. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.2 reports per 1,000, below County Durham’s towns (16.5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
6.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearA+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 98% 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 & sexual3
Damage & arson2
Other crime2
Other theft1
Burglary1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Drugs0
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.
6.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.2
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
9
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.
History
High Shincliffe has fewer old homes than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 12% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Of High Shincliffe’s land, 7% lies in conservation areas, higher than County Durham’s towns (0%) and near England’s towns (7%). Historic England’s list has no building inside the town’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
12%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade C
Few households rent privately in High Shincliffe: 5%, fewer than in County Durham’s towns and across England’s towns
91% of households own their home, higher than both County Durham’s towns (62%) and England’s towns (61%). The social rented sector houses 4% of households. Half of the 34 standard sales inside High Shincliffe’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £285,000.
£285Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
High Shincliffe£285K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £392,500 | 19 |
| Semi-detached | £245,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £212,250 | 10 |
91%
of households own their home · England 61%
5%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,601
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Just 3.8% of people in High Shincliffe say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in County Durham’s towns and across England’s towns
Women here live to 81.4 on average and men to 79.4 (2019–23). At the census, 18% of people here had a disability, below County Durham’s towns (22%) and close to England’s towns (17%). Self-reported good health: 83% of High Shincliffe’s residents. There is no GP practice in the town: the nearest is 1.3 miles off.
83%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 83%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | High Shincliffe | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 83% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.8% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 22% | 17% |
79.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Only 12% of commuters in High Shincliffe go to work without a car, 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.
86% of commuters drove, higher than both County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%). For 27% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. Work in town: 3% of resident commuters. There are 0.1 jobs in High Shincliffe for each resident in work.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot6%
Bus2%
Bicycle2%
Train1%
27%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
42%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
1.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 38% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about High Shincliffe
14pages on High Shincliffe
The big questions
SafetyA+6.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingCMedian home £285K · rent £650 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 monthsSchoolsB1 state schoolHealthC+Life expectancy 79.4 (men), 81.4 (women)Work & commuteA−50% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
High Shincliffe’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BowburnSherburnDurhamCoxhoeHigh PittingtonBrandonKelloeHigh Shincliffe
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Shincliffe | 1,045 | — | — | C | A+ | C+ |
| Bowburn | 4,843 | 1.2 | B | A− | C− | C− |
| Sherburn | 2,796 | 2 | B− | A− | C− | C− |
| Durham | 50,502 | 2.2 | B+ | B | D | C |
| Coxhoe | 4,542 | 2.9 | B | B+ | C | C− |
| High Pittington | 1,147 | 3.3 | — | B+ | B− | C− |
| Brandon | 9,508 | 3.4 | B− | A− | D | D |
| Kelloe | 1,434 | 3.5 | — | A | D | D |
High Pittington and Kelloe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about High Shincliffe
Does High Shincliffe flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About High Shincliffe
Village in County Durham, England
High Shincliffe is a built-up area of 1,045 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
- 1,045 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000201
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.