Merrybent’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Merrybent’s built-up area.
22% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
MerrybentCounty Durham
A village of 478 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Linda Spashett, Storye book · CC BY 3.0
Population
478
Census 2021 · Darlington council
Median home
£303K
22 sales in 3 years
Median age
43.4
17% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
38%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Merrybent a good place to live?
Merrybent has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Merrybent stand out
The 2 things Merrybent does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Merrybent.
Work & commute
Walking, cycling and public transport carry fewer commuters in Merrybent than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 6%
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.
There are 0.4 jobs in Merrybent for each resident in work. The car took just over nine in ten commuters, above County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Home was the main workplace for 34% of workers at the census.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot3%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
34%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£62K
mean household income, before tax
1.1%
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
More households own their home in Merrybent than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 81%
Social housing holds 2% of households. The middle sale price: £303K, higher than County Durham’s towns (£144K) and near England’s towns (£308K). Private renters make up 17% of households.
£303Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Merrybent£303K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £373,125 | 10 |
| Terraced | £217,000 | 9 |
81%
of households own their home · England 61%
17%
rent privately · England 21%
£689
average private rent a month, Darlington council area
£2,504
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
Violent crime runs low in Merrybent: 7.7 per 1,000 residents a year, under County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
Homes see 4.9 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Police figures for Merrybent’s built-up area: 12 crimes and 1 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 2.1 reports per 1,000, lower than both County Durham’s towns (16.3) and England’s towns (7.8). Violence and sexual offences were three quarters of the crimes.
7.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual9
Burglary2
Damage & arson1
Shoplifting0
Public order0
Other theft0
Drugs0
Vehicle crime0
Anti-social1
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.
7.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4.9
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
12
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
Is Merrybent a healthy place? 89% of its people say their health is good, above County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
At the census, 13% of people here had a disability, lower than both County Durham’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (17%). Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 4% of the town. Also worth knowing: there is no GP practice in Merrybent: the nearest is 1.6 miles off.
89%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 89%Fair 8%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Merrybent | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 89% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 22% | 17% |
82.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86
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.
History
Merrybent’s one listed building is Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 22% of the total, above County Durham’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Scaled to its population, that is 21 listed buildings for every 10,000 people in Merrybent.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
22%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
21
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
Children make up 22% of Merrybent, above County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The median resident of Merrybent is 43.4 years old. People 65 and over make up 17% of the town, below both County Durham’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (18%). Among adults, 38% have a degree.
43.4median age
MerrybentCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
11%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications10%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar23%
Degree level38%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Merrybent | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 19% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 17% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 9.6% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 23% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 38% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Walworth Castle and 3 more in and around Merrybent
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Merrybent. Best known first.
CastleWalworth Castle3.5 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumHopetown Darlington4.1 km outside town, to the eastArt galleryArt galleryDarlington Library Art Gallery4 km outside town, to the eastAbbey or prioryAbbey or priorySt Clare's Abbey2.2 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 (2)
- Walworth Castle: Hugh Mortimer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hopetown Darlington: JoshP93, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Merrybent
13pages on Merrybent
The big questions
Safety7.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £303K · rent £689 a monthHousing7 sold in 12 months · busiest street MerrybentSchoolsHealthLife expectancy 82.3 (men), 86 (women)Work & commute46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Merrybent’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
DarlingtonHurworth-on-TeesHeighingtonGainfordSchool AycliffeMiddleton St GeorgeNewton AycliffeMerrybent
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrybent | 478 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Darlington | 93,022 | 2.6 | C+ | A | D | C− |
| Hurworth-on-Tees | 2,667 | 4.3 | B | B | B+ | B− |
| Heighington | 1,548 | 4.8 | — | B | A− | A− |
| Gainford | 1,127 | 5 | — | B− | A− | C+ |
| School Aycliffe | 1,590 | 5.8 | — | B− | A | B− |
| Middleton St George | 4,756 | 6.3 | B− | B | C− | B− |
| Newton Aycliffe | 25,760 | 7 | C− | A− | D | D |
Heighington, Gainford and School Aycliffe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Merrybent
How much is council tax in Merrybent?
Band D council tax in Merrybent is £2,504 for 2026–27, more than in 65% 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 Merrybent expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £217,000 and detached houses £373,125. Private rents in the Darlington council area averaged £689 a month in August 2026.
Who lives in Merrybent?
At the 2021 Census, 11% of Merrybent’s 478 residents were 15 to 24 and 17% were 65 or over, against 12% and 18% across England’s towns.
About Merrybent
Village in County Durham, England
Merrybent is a built-up area of 478 people, in the Darlington 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
- 478 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Darlington
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000340
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.