Hobson’s story
No listed buildings inside Hobson’s built-up area
26% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
HobsonCounty Durham
A village of 710 in County Durham, North East. 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
710
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£226K
32 sales in 3 years
Median age
43.5
14% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
36%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Hobson a good place to live?
Hobson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Hobson stand out
The 2 things Hobson does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Hobson.
Work & commute
Only 10% of Hobson’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 28% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
About 2% of its commuters stay in Hobson for work. By car: that was how 92% of commuters travelled at the census. Unemployment benefit claims came to 1.9% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below County Durham’s towns (3%) and England’s towns (2.3%) alike. Average household income comes to £48K a year before tax.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot4%
Bus2%
Train1%
10%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
28%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
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
Most households in Hobson own their home: 86%, more than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns
Private renters make up 14% of households. The median sale price was £226K, above County Durham’s towns (£144K) but below England’s towns (£308K). That is the middle of 32 standard sales inside Hobson’s built-up area over three years, against £277,000 in the typical UK town.
£226Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Hobson£226K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £250,000 | 12 |
| Semi-detached | £180,000 | 10 |
| Terraced | £119,250 | 8 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
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
Safety
Hobson records less violent crime per resident than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns, at 8.5 per 1,000 a year
There were 4.7 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), lower than both County Durham’s towns (16.3) and England’s towns (7.8). Burglary and damage come to 9.4 per 1,000 residents a year. A year of reports to August 2026 adds up to 17 offences in Hobson and 2 cases of nuisance behaviour. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 18% of recorded crime.
8.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual3
Damage & arson3
Drugs3
Other theft2
Burglary2
Vehicle crime2
Public order1
Other crime1
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.
8.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
9.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
17
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 Hobson than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.1% of residents
There is no GP practice in Hobson: the nearest is 0.8 miles off. At the census, 87% of people in Hobson called their health good or very good, above County Durham’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. A disability affects 13% of people in the town. The nearest A&E to Hobson is Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 6.8 miles away.
87%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 87%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Hobson | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 87% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.1% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 22% | 17% |
79.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
80.6
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
History
Old homes shape Hobson: 26% 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.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Hobson’s built-up area.
0listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
26%
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
Who lives here
Hobson has fewer older residents than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 14% are 65 or over
36% of adults hold a degree, above both County Durham’s towns (27%) and England’s towns (34%). Residents of Hobson have a median age of 43.5. Children under 15 make up 16% of residents.
43.5median age
HobsonCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
11%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications13%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level36%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Hobson | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 14% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 13% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.1% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 36% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Beamish Museum and 6 more in and around Hobson
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Hobson. Best known first.
MuseumBeamish Museum4.5 km outside town, to the east · 350K visitors a year
Heritage railwayTanfield Railway3.4 km outside town, to the east
Historic house · National TrustGibside2.3 km outside town, to the north
CastleHamsterley Hall2.7 km outside town, to the westHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageDerwentcote Steel Furnace4 km outside town, to the westGardenGardenBirkheads Secret Gardens4.4 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Beamish Museum: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tanfield Railway: Stephen Daglish, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gibside: John Darch, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hamsterley Hall: P Glenwright, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hobson
13pages on Hobson
The big questions
Safety8.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £226K · rent £650 a monthHousing5 sold in 12 months · busiest street The MeadowsSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 79.5 (men), 80.6 (women)Work & commute41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Hobson’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
BurnopfieldDiptonTanfield LeaRowlands GillAnnfield PlainStanleySunnisideHobson
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobson | 710 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Burnopfield | 2,998 | 0.7 | A− | A− | B+ | C− |
| Dipton | 2,653 | 1.3 | B− | A− | C | D |
| Tanfield Lea | 2,399 | 1.4 | — | A− | B− | D |
| Rowlands Gill | 5,254 | 2 | C | C+ | B− | C+ |
| Annfield Plain | 7,786 | 2.4 | D | A− | D | D− |
| Stanley | 19,423 | 2.5 | C | A− | D− | D− |
| Sunniside | 3,422 | 3 | B | B− | C+ | C+ |
Tanfield Lea has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Hobson
Is Hobson expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £119,250, semi-detached houses £180,000 and detached houses £250,000. Private rents in the County Durham council area averaged £650 a month in August 2026.
How much is council tax in Hobson?
Band D council tax in Hobson is £2,500 for 2026–27, more than in 64% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
About Hobson
Village in County Durham, England
Hobson is a built-up area of 710 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
- 710 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000132
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.