Medomsley’s story
5 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Medomsley’s built-up area.
29% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MedomsleyCounty Durham
Population 1,216: a village in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,216
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£152K
49 sales in 3 years
Median age
49.6
25% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
40%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Medomsley a good place to live?
Medomsley’s strongest subject is cost of living: a typical home costs £152,000 and rent runs £650 a month. Most journeys need a car (D): 7% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. Safety is weaker too (C): police record 27.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, and 15.4 home and vehicle crimes. Among UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has less crime per resident than 14%.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Medomsley is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
What makes Medomsley stand out
The 3 things Medomsley 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%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
45% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
How Medomsley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Medomsley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Medomsley is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
WalkabilityNear the bottom of the towns comparedDOpen →Cost of livingMedian sale £152,000, 3.6 years of area incomeA−Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentCOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaB+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £50,708C+Open →HealthLife expectancy 79.4 for men, 82.6 for womenC+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 36% of towns in England; secondary results beat 48% of towns in EnglandC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryClose to the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 1.6 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsCOpen →Civic life0 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Medomsley.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
The car carries 88% of commuters in Medomsley, more than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 34% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Just over a third of workers worked mainly from home, above County Durham’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (31%) alike. For nearly a quarter of commuters, work was under 5 km away. About 2% of its commuters stay in Medomsley for work. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 2%.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
On foot4%
Bus2%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
24%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£51K
mean household income, before tax
2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 8% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsC+
Medomsley’s schools fall behind 60% of towns in England on results
The one school in town appears below. 126 pupils attend Medomsley’s one primary school.
C+School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Ian Ramsey CofE Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 126 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade A−
Most households in Medomsley own their home: 81%, more than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
10% rent privately, below County Durham’s towns (18%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. Council and housing-body homes hold 8% of households. The median sale, £152,000, comes from 49 standard sales inside Medomsley’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026.
£152Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Medomsley£152K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £445,000 | 10 |
| Semi-detached | £160,000 | 11 |
| Terraced | £140,000 | 28 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
10%
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
For a town of its size, Medomsley records a lot of crime: more per resident than 86% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
There were 6 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below both County Durham’s towns (16.5) and England’s towns (7.8). Over the year to August 2026, 44 offences were reported in Medomsley, along with 6 incidents of anti-social behaviour. Of all the crimes, 43% were violence and sexual offences.
27.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearCSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 14% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual19
Damage & arson8
Public order5
Vehicle crime4
Other crime3
Burglary2
Drugs2
Other theft1
Anti-social6
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.
27.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
15.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
44
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 Medomsley than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 4.9% of residents
Disability touches a fifth of Medomsley’s population. Just over four fifths of the town’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, between County Durham’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (82%). There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 1.4 miles off.
81%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Medomsley | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.9% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 22% | 17% |
79.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.6
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Census health answers are raw, so younger towns score better on them; for the Health Grade we use age-adjusted figures like life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More of the land in Medomsley is conservation area than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 46%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
29% of homes were built before 1919. Medomsley’s listed buildings include the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Grade I. It counts 5 listed buildings on the national list (Historic England): 1 Grade I.
5listed buildingsBHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II4
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Mary Magdalene Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
29%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
41
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
More people in Medomsley hold a degree than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 40%
The share aged 15 to 24 is 8.7%. People 65 and over make up 25% of the town, above both County Durham’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (18%). The age that splits Medomsley in two is 49.6.
49.6median age
MedomsleyCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship5%
A levels or similar17%
Degree level40%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Medomsley | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.7% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.2% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 40% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Derwentcote Steel Furnace and 2 more in and around Medomsley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Medomsley. Best known first.
Historic siteHistoric site · English HeritageDerwentcote Steel Furnace1.8 km outside town, to the northeast
CastleHamsterley Hall2 km outside town, to the northeastArt galleryArt galleryThe Glass & Art Gallery2.4 km outside town, to the south
CastleHamsterley Hall2 km outside town, to the northeastArt galleryArt galleryThe Glass & Art Gallery2.4 km outside town, to the southPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Hamsterley Hall: P Glenwright, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Medomsley
15pages on Medomsley
The big questions
SafetyC27.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £152K · rent £650 a monthHousing14 sold in 12 months · busiest street North MagdaleneSchoolsC+1 state schoolHealthC+Life expectancy 79.4 (men), 82.6 (women)Work & commuteC+45% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsB+0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Medomsley
4 notable people were born in Medomsley.
Medomsley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Blackhall MillLeadgateConsettDiptonChopwellAnnfield PlainBurnopfieldMedomsley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medomsley | 1,216 | — | — | A− | C | C+ |
| Blackhall Mill | 1,528 | 1.3 | — | B+ | B | C |
| Leadgate | 3,339 | 1.6 | C− | A | D | D |
| Consett | 29,874 | 2.3 | C | A− | C | D |
| Dipton | 2,653 | 2.4 | B− | A− | C | D |
| Chopwell | 2,530 | 2.5 | D | B | D− | D |
| Annfield Plain | 7,786 | 3.4 | D | A− | D | D− |
| Burnopfield | 2,998 | 3.4 | A− | A− | B+ | C− |
Blackhall Mill has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Medomsley
How many listed buildings are there in Medomsley?
That is 1.7 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Mary Magdalene.
Is Medomsley expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £152,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £140,000, semi-detached houses £160,000 and detached houses £445,000.
About Medomsley
Village in County Durham, England
Medomsley is a built-up area of 1,216 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
- 1,216 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000143
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.