School Aycliffe’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside School Aycliffe’s built-up area.
13% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
School AycliffeCounty Durham
A village of 1,590 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: peter robinson · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,590
Census 2021 · Darlington council
Median home
£270K
65 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.2
20% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
41%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
7%
of commuters · England 27%
Is School Aycliffe a good place to live?
School Aycliffe has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 13 violent and sexual offences and 4 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is walkability (D): 7% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £270,000 in the last three years, 5.8 times what households in the Darlington council area earn in a year.
What makes School Aycliffe stand out
The 3 things School Aycliffe 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%)
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£673 a month
Average private rent, 17% of what households in the area earn: less than in 100% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Darlington council area.
80%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 80%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
How School Aycliffe grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far School Aycliffe is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityDOpen →SafetyAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 36% of towns in England; secondary results beat 42% of towns in EnglandC+Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £52,655; 2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →Cost of livingrent £673 a monthB−Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.7 for men, 84.8 for womenB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 0 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsD−Open →Civic life0.6 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 School Aycliffe.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
The car carries 91% of commuters in School Aycliffe, more than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
On this, School Aycliffe is above both County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%). 24% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
7%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot3%
Bicycle2%
Bus1%
24%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
31%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£53K
mean household income, before tax
2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D
Walkability: more walkable than 5% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
School Aycliffe has less crime per resident than 90% of UK towns
Burglary and damage came to 4 per 1,000 residents a year, below both County Durham’s towns (18.3) and England’s towns (9.4). Police recorded 43 crimes inside School Aycliffe’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 3 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 58% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
13violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 80% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual25
Public order5
Vehicle crime5
Damage & arson3
Burglary3
Drugs1
Bicycle theft1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social3
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.
13
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
2.7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
43
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
History
2 listed buildings, 0 of them Grade I
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
School Aycliffe has 2 listed buildings inside its built-up area on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*. 13% of its homes were built before 1919.
2listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
13%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
13
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
HousingCost of living grade B−
More households own their home in School Aycliffe than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 92%
In the comparison, School Aycliffe comes above both County Durham’s towns (62%) and England’s towns (61%). 6% of households rent privately.
£270Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
School Aycliffe£270K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £285,000 | 57 |
| Semi-detached | £201,000 | 8 |
92%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£673
average private rent a month, Darlington council area
£2,639
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Is School Aycliffe a healthy place? 86% of its people say their health is good, above County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
For School Aycliffe, that is above both County Durham’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (82%). School Aycliffe has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.3 miles away. These answers aren’t adjusted for age, so young towns look healthier; the Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
86%good or very good healthB−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | School Aycliffe | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.9% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 14% | 22% | 17% |
80.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Who lives here
School Aycliffe is a graduates’ town: 41% hold a degree, more than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns
School Aycliffe sits above both County Durham’s towns (27%) and England’s towns (34%) on this measure. People aged 15 to 24 make up 10% of the town. School Aycliffe has a median age of 45.2.
45.2median age
School AycliffeCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
20%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications9%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar21%
Degree level41%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| School Aycliffe | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 8.6% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.8% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 21% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 41% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about School Aycliffe
14pages on School Aycliffe
The big questions
SafetyA13 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £270K · rent £673 a monthHousing19 sold in 12 months · busiest street Spindleberry WaySchoolsC+HealthB−Life expectancy 80.7 (men), 84.8 (women)Work & commuteB−41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
School Aycliffe’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
HeighingtonNewton AycliffeShildonCoundon and LeeholmeChiltonBishop AucklandWest AucklandSchool Aycliffe
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Aycliffe | 1,590 | — | — | B− | A | B− |
| Heighington | 1,548 | 1.2 | — | B | A− | A− |
| Newton Aycliffe | 25,760 | 1.5 | C− | A− | D | D |
| Shildon | 9,650 | 2.2 | D | A− | D− | D− |
| Coundon and Leeholme | 2,522 | 4 | C− | A | D− | D− |
| Chilton | 4,693 | 4.1 | D | A− | D− | D |
| Bishop Auckland | 23,359 | 4.4 | D | A− | D− | D |
| West Auckland | 3,107 | 5.1 | D | A− | D− | D |
Heighington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about School Aycliffe
How much is council tax in School Aycliffe?
Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Does School Aycliffe flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About School Aycliffe
Village in County Durham, England
School Aycliffe is a built-up area of 1,590 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
- 1,590 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Darlington (mostly)
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000291
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.