Kirk Merrington’s story
12 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Kirk Merrington’s built-up area.
17% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Kirk MerringtonCounty Durham
A village of 752 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: peter robinson · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
752
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£150K
43 sales in 3 years
Median age
50.7
29% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Kirk Merrington a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Kirk Merrington has no grades; its figures are still real. 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. It has 12 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I. Homes change hands at a median £150,000.
What makes Kirk Merrington stand out
The 3 things Kirk Merrington does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
7% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
1 Grade II*, including Church of St John the Evangelist; 6.5 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
46% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kirk Merrington.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Kirk Merrington work nearby than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 21% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 24% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.8%. The car took 92% of commuters, above both County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%). Average household income comes to £43K a year before tax. About 1% of its commuters stay in Kirk Merrington for work.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot5%
Bus2%
21%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
24%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£43K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
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
Schools
The schools around Kirk Merrington
At the 11 primary schools within 3 km, 55% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Kirk Merrington Primary School’s results beat 90% of schools in England like it. Its one school is below. GCSE results at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km: two in five pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 46.2.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Merrington Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 180 | A |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
Kirk Merrington is a town of owners: 77% of households own their home, above County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
Social renters account for 5% of households. Private rents average £650 a month across the County Durham council area. 18% rent privately, close to County Durham’s towns (18%) and below England’s towns (21%).
£150Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Kirk Merrington£150K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £211,500 | 14 |
| Semi-detached | £182,500 | 12 |
| Terraced | £125,000 | 17 |
77%
of households own their home · England 61%
18%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,738
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
Kirk Merrington records less violent crime per resident than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns, at 7.5 per 1,000 a year
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 4.9 reports per 1,000, lower than both County Durham’s towns (16.3) and England’s towns (7.8). Kirk Merrington logged 36 reported offences in a year (to August 2026), plus 4 complaints of anti-social conduct. Property crime (burglary and damage) runs at 15.1 per 1,000 residents a year. A quarter of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
7.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Vehicle crime14
Violence & sexual9
Public order4
Damage & arson3
Other theft2
Burglary2
Drugs1
Bicycle theft1
Anti-social4
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.
7.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
15.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
36
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
19% of people in Kirk Merrington have a disability, against 22% in County Durham’s towns and 17% in England’s towns
5.9% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, below County Durham’s towns (7.3%) but above England’s towns (5.2%). Asked at the census, 78% of residents of Kirk Merrington said they were in good or very good health. Seeing a GP means leaving Kirk Merrington: the nearest practice is 1.6 miles away.
78%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 16%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Kirk Merrington | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.9% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 19% | 22% | 17% |
77.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
80.3
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.
History
Kirk Merrington is rich in listed buildings: 160 per 10,000 residents, 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.
Grade II* covers 1 of them. Conservation areas cover just over a quarter of Kirk Merrington’s land, higher than both County Durham’s towns (0%) and England’s towns (7%). 17% of homes date from before 1919.
12listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II11
Among them · Grade II*
- Church of St John the Evangelist Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
17%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
160
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
Fewer children live in Kirk Merrington than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 12% are under 15
Those 65 and older account for 29% of residents. 7.9% of residents are 15 to 24, below both County Durham’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). Line up the people of Kirk Merrington by age and the one in the middle is 50.7. Among adults, 30% have a degree.
50.7median age
Kirk MerringtonCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications17%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 96 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Kirk Merrington | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.9% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 17% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.3% | 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
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Auckland Castle and 7 more in and around Kirk Merrington
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Kirk Merrington. Best known first.
Historic house · English HeritageAuckland Castle4.5 km outside town, to the west
Art galleryMining Art Gallery4.7 km outside town, to the westTheme parkTheme parkKynren4.8 km outside town, to the westCastleCastle · English HeritageAuckland Castle Deer Shelter4.2 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumDurham Mining Museum2.3 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumFaith Museum4.5 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Auckland Castle: Pit-yacker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mining Art Gallery: Oliver Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kirk Merrington
13pages on Kirk Merrington
The big questions
Safety7.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £150K · rent £650 a monthHousing6 sold in 12 months · busiest street Beckwith CloseSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 77.1 (men), 80.3 (women)Work & commute39% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Kirk Merrington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ChiltonSpennymoorFerryhillCoundon and LeeholmeCornforthNewton AycliffeShildonKirk Merrington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Merrington | 752 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chilton | 4,693 | 1.7 | D | A− | D− | D |
| Spennymoor | 20,401 | 1.8 | C− | A− | D− | D |
| Ferryhill | 8,857 | 1.8 | D | A− | D− | D− |
| Coundon and Leeholme | 2,522 | 1.8 | C− | A | D− | D− |
| Cornforth | 2,424 | 3.6 | — | A− | D | D− |
| Newton Aycliffe | 25,760 | 3.7 | C− | A− | D | D |
| Shildon | 9,650 | 3.9 | D | A− | D− | D− |
Cornforth has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Kirk Merrington
How many listed buildings are there in Kirk Merrington?
That is 6.5 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Kirk Merrington?
Band D council tax in Kirk Merrington is £2,738 for 2026–27, more than in 98% 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.
Is Kirk Merrington expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £125,000, semi-detached houses £182,500 and detached houses £211,500.
About Kirk Merrington
Village in County Durham, England
Kirk Merrington is a built-up area of 752 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
- 752 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000250
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.