The east end of High Street, Sedgefield, Co. Durham

Sedgefield, #1 on this list · Photo: Rod Grealish · CC BY-SA 2.0

County Durham rankings · Small towns

Best small towns in County Durham

Sedgefield ranks first of 38 small towns of 2,500 to 9,999 residents in County Durham, with an A. 3 of the 38 grade A− or better.

The overall score, among towns of 2,500 to 9,999; the letter is the same UK grade every town gets. The rank across England, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

Sedgefield

4,979 people

Score 66.4·#161 of 1,289 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Strongest: schools A, hazard risk A·lowest: walkability C⁺

Wynyard

4,040 people

A⁻

Score 61.6·#281 of 1,289 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Strongest: jobs & income A⁻, health A⁻·lowest: walkability D⁻

Burnopfield

2,998 people

A⁻

Score 59.8·#344 of 1,289 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Strongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health C⁻

All 38 towns, ranked

By overall score; the letter is the same UK grade as on each town’s page. Each rank across England, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list. The score (0–100) blends the seven livability grades and sets the order; the letter places that score among UK towns of 2,500+, and A+ is the top 5%, so neighbours on the list often share a letter.

Every town in County Durham →

Find a town

38 towns.

#TownScoreGrade · UK rankWhat drives it

1Sedgefield4,979 people66.4top 11.2%A#161 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: schools A, hazard risk A·lowest: walkability C⁺

2Wynyard4,040 people61.6top 18.7%A⁻#281 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: jobs & income A⁻, health A⁻·lowest: walkability D⁻

3Burnopfield2,998 people59.8top 23.2%A⁻#344 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health C⁻

4Great Lumley3,627 people56.9top 28.4%B⁺#418 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, schools A⁻·lowest: health C⁻

5Barnard Castle5,783 people55.7top 31.4%B⁺#465 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: schools A⁺, walkability A⁺·lowest: jobs & income C

6Lanchester3,510 people54.5top 34.0%B⁺#506 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: schools B⁺, cost of living B⁺·lowest: hazard risk D

7Witton Gilbert2,525 people53.8top 35.4%B#525 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health D

8Bowburn4,843 people51.2top 40.6%B#603 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: schools A, hazard risk A·lowest: safety C⁻

9Coxhoe4,542 people49.6top 44.1%B#649 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: schools A, hazard risk A·lowest: health C⁻

10Hurworth-on-Tees2,667 people49.2top 44.9%B#660 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: safety B⁺, jobs & income B·lowest: schools C⁻

11Dipton2,653 people49.0top 45.5%B⁻#668 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health D

12Middleton St George4,756 people48.1top 47.3%B⁻#692 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: schools B⁺, cost of living B·lowest: safety C⁻

13Sherburn2,796 people46.5bottom 48.7%B⁻#742 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: safety C⁻

14Brandon9,508 people45.1bottom 46.0%B⁻#773 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, schools A⁻·lowest: safety D

15South Hetton2,877 people45.1bottom 45.9%B⁻#775 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: jobs & income D

16Sacriston5,186 people43.8bottom 42.3%C⁺#819 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health D

17Trimdon2,835 people41.7bottom 37.6%C⁺#875 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: jobs & income D⁻

18Shotton Colliery4,943 people40.2bottom 34.3%C#918 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, schools A⁻·lowest: health D⁻

19Murton7,239 people40.0bottom 33.7%C#924 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

20Esh Winning3,877 people38.5bottom 30.5%C#961 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: jobs & income D

21Ushaw Moor and Bearpark6,483 people38.1bottom 29.2%C#978 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, hazard risk B·lowest: health D

22Pelton and Ouston7,305 people36.8bottom 25.8%C#1,019 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living B⁺·lowest: health C⁻

23Wheatley Hill3,148 people36.7bottom 25.2%C#1,025 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, schools A⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

24Easington6,968 people36.6bottom 25.1%C#1,027 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

25Thornley2,543 people36.5bottom 24.8%C⁻#1,031 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health D⁻

26Langley Park4,031 people36.0bottom 23.5%C⁻#1,041 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: jobs & income D

27Coundon and Leeholme2,522 people35.1bottom 21.1%C⁻#1,062 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, hazard risk A·lowest: safety D⁻

28Leadgate3,339 people35.0bottom 20.9%C⁻#1,064 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A·lowest: health D

29Horden6,805 people32.6bottom 15.5%C⁻#1,127 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health D⁻

30Crook9,717 people32.4bottom 15.1%C⁻#1,132 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A, walkability B·lowest: jobs & income D

31Ferryhill8,857 people31.6bottom 13.2%D#1,154 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

32Annfield Plain7,786 people30.5bottom 11.3%D#1,173 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, walkability B⁻·lowest: health D⁻

33Willington5,685 people30.0bottom 10.6%D#1,180 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, hazard risk B·lowest: safety D⁻

34Blackhall Colliery4,577 people29.6bottom 10.2%D#1,185 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: hazard risk A, cost of living A⁻·lowest: health D⁻

35Chilton4,693 people29.5bottom 9.9%D#1,188 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, hazard risk B·lowest: safety D⁻

36Shildon9,650 people28.9bottom 8.8%D#1,200 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, walkability B⁺·lowest: safety D⁻

37Wingate5,033 people28.8bottom 8.5%D#1,204 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living B⁺, schools C⁺·lowest: safety D

38West Auckland3,107 people27.2bottom 6.2%D#1,225 of 1,289 nationallyStrongest: cost of living A⁻, walkability B⁻·lowest: safety D⁻

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the best small town to live in County Durham?

Sedgefield ranks first of 38 (A): schools (A) and hazard risk (A) are its strongest grades; walkability (C+) is its lowest. Wynyard and Burnopfield follow.

How are these towns ranked?

By the overall grade, which blends seven livability grades (cost of living, safety, schools, health, jobs & income, walkability, flood risk) from public data, each comparing a town with every UK town. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500 to 9,999 residents with an overall grade. Towns without one are counted above with the reason.

Go deeper

More County Durham lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All County Durham rankings →

Best places to live52 towns · #1 Egglescliffe Most affordable towns52 towns · #1 Stockton-on-Tees Safest towns52 towns · #1 Wynyard Towns with the best schools52 towns · #1 Barnard Castle Healthiest towns52 towns · #1 Wynyard Best towns for jobs & income52 towns · #1 Wynyard Most walkable towns52 towns · #1 Barnard Castle Towns with the lowest flood risk52 towns · #1 Blackhall Colliery and 23 more Best towns for the outdoors52 towns · #1 Seaham Most historic towns52 towns · #1 Barnard Castle Towns with the most civic life52 towns · #1 Barnard Castle Towns with the highest household incomes52 towns · #1 WynyardDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax52 towns · #1 DarlingtonDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters52 towns · #1 Horden and SeahamDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers52 towns · #1 Stockton-on-TeesDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers52 towns · #1 Consett and LeadgateDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts52 towns · #1 HartlepoolDescribed, no letters Driest towns52 towns · #1 Hartlepool and HordenDescribed, no letters Wettest towns52 towns · #1 Esh WinningDescribed, no letters

Sources: 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.