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Blackhall Colliery pitwheelBlackhall Colliery, #1 on this list · Photo: Carol Rose · CC BY-SA 2.0
County Durham rankings · Hazard risk

Towns with the lowest flood risk in County Durham

Blackhall Colliery and Bowburn (tied with 22 more) share first place on flood risk among County Durham’s 52 towns of 2,500+; 24 of the 52 grade A− or better against UK towns.

In England and Wales the Hazard risk Grade measures flood risk: the share of the town’s homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea (Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales). The rank across England, Scotland and Wales sits beside each letter. How grades work

#T1

Blackhall Colliery

4,577 people
A

No homes at high or medium flood risk·#43 of 2,452 in England, Scotland and Wales

#T1

Bowburn

4,843 people
A

No homes at high or medium flood risk·#43 of 2,452 in England, Scotland and Wales

#T1

Burnopfield

2,998 people
A

No homes at high or medium flood risk·#43 of 2,452 in England, Scotland and Wales

All 52 towns, ranked

Flood risk grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England, Scotland and Wales links to the national list.

Every town in County Durham →

52 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns
T1Blackhall Colliery4,577 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Bowburn4,843 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Burnopfield2,998 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Coundon and Leeholme2,522 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Coxhoe4,542 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Dipton2,653 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Easington6,968 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Ferryhill8,857 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Great Lumley3,627 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Horden6,805 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Langley Park4,031 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Leadgate3,339 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Murton7,239 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Pelton and Ouston7,305 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Peterlee19,750 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Sacriston5,186 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Seaham21,660 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Sedgefield4,979 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Sherburn2,796 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1South Hetton2,877 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Stanley19,423 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Thornley2,543 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Trimdon2,835 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
T1Witton Gilbert2,525 peopleA#43 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
25Wynyard4,040 peopleB+#498 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
26Shotton Colliery4,943 peopleB+#523 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
27Wheatley Hill3,148 peopleB+#640 of 2,452 nationallyno homes at high or medium flood risk
28Ushaw Moor and Bearpark6,483 peopleB#745 of 2,452 nationally0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
29Stockton-on-Tees84,824 peopleB#762 of 2,452 nationally0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
30Willington5,685 peopleB#772 of 2,452 nationally0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
31Brandon9,508 peopleB#803 of 2,452 nationally0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
32Esh Winning3,877 peopleB#822 of 2,452 nationally0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
T33Consett29,874 peopleB#833 of 2,452 nationally0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
T33Egglescliffe10,250 peopleB#833 of 2,452 nationally0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
35Spennymoor20,401 peopleB#847 of 2,452 nationally0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
36Chilton4,693 peopleB#953 of 2,452 nationally0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
37Newton Aycliffe25,760 peopleB−#993 of 2,452 nationally0.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
38Barnard Castle5,783 peopleB−#1,027 of 2,452 nationally0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
39Middleton St George4,756 peopleB−#1,050 of 2,452 nationally0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
40Annfield Plain7,786 peopleB−#1,075 of 2,452 nationally0.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
41Darlington93,022 peopleB−#1,234 of 2,452 nationally0.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
42Durham50,502 peopleC+#1,245 of 2,452 nationally0.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
43Hartlepool88,001 peopleC+#1,295 of 2,452 nationally0.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
44Hurworth-on-Tees2,667 peopleC+#1,472 of 2,452 nationally0.7% of homes at high or medium flood risk
45Chester-le-Street23,554 peopleC#1,531 of 2,452 nationally0.8% of homes at high or medium flood risk
46Wingate5,033 peopleC#1,570 of 2,452 nationally0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
47Crook9,717 peopleC#1,577 of 2,452 nationally0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
48Bishop Auckland23,359 peopleC#1,583 of 2,452 nationally0.9% of homes at high or medium flood risk
49Shildon9,650 peopleC#1,666 of 2,452 nationally1.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
50Billingham33,917 peopleC#1,683 of 2,452 nationally1.2% of homes at high or medium flood risk
51Lanchester3,510 peopleD#2,257 of 2,452 nationally6% of homes at high or medium flood risk
52West Auckland3,107 peopleD#2,338 of 2,452 nationally8.8% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which town in County Durham has the lowest flood risk?

Blackhall Colliery ranks first on flood risk among 52 towns, with an A: no homes at high or medium flood risk. Bowburn and Burnopfield follow.

How are these towns ranked?

In England and Wales the Hazard risk Grade measures flood risk: the share of the town’s homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea (Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales). The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers County Durham’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in County Durham is on the county page.

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 EgglescliffeBest small towns38 towns · #1 SedgefieldMost affordable towns52 towns · #1 Stockton-on-TeesSafest towns52 towns · #1 WynyardTowns with the best schools52 towns · #1 Barnard CastleHealthiest towns52 towns · #1 WynyardBest towns for jobs & income52 towns · #1 WynyardMost walkable towns52 towns · #1 Barnard CastleBest towns for the outdoors52 towns · #1 SeahamMost historic towns52 towns · #1 Barnard CastleTowns with the most civic life52 towns · #1 Barnard CastleTowns with the highest household incomes52 towns · #1 WynyardDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest council tax52 towns · #1 DarlingtonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters52 towns · #1 Horden and SeahamDescribed, no lettersTowns with the warmest summers52 towns · #1 Stockton-on-TeesDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers52 towns · #1 Consett and LeadgateDescribed, no lettersTowns with the fewest frosts52 towns · #1 HartlepoolDescribed, no lettersDriest towns52 towns · #1 Hartlepool and HordenDescribed, no lettersWettest towns52 towns · #1 Esh WinningDescribed, no letters
County by county

Towns with the lowest flood risk, county by county

AberdeenshireBedfordshireBerkshireBuckinghamshireCambridgeshireCheshireClwydCornwallCounty DurhamCumbriaDerbyshireDevonDorsetDyfedEast Riding of YorkshireEast SussexEssexFifeGloucestershireGreater ManchesterGwentHampshireHertfordshireHighlandKentLancashireLeicestershireLincolnshireLondonMerseysideMid GlamorganNorfolkNorth LanarkshireNorth YorkshireNorthamptonshireNorthumberlandNottinghamshireOxfordshireShropshireSomersetSouth LanarkshireSouth YorkshireStaffordshireSuffolkSurreyTyne and WearWarwickshireWest GlamorganWest MidlandsWest SussexWest YorkshireWiltshireWorcestershire

Sources: Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea, postcodes in areas at risk (June 2026); Natural Resources Wales Flood Risk Assessment Wales (May 2026); ONS Census 2021 households by postcode · 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.