Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A large town of 21,660 in County Durham, North East.
Seaham grades C+ overall against UK towns: better than 44% of UK towns, and #19 of 52 in County Durham. Its strongest subject is hazard risk (A): 0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Its weakest is health (D): life expectancy 75.3 for men, 79.8 for women. The median home sold for £130,000 in the last three years, 3 times what households in the County Durham council area earn in a year.
The 3 things Seaham does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Seaham is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists 12 buildings inside Seaham’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade II*.
16% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Seaham.
At the census, 8.2% of people here described their health as bad or very bad. 76% of Seaham’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, below County Durham’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. A disability affects nearly a quarter of people in the town. The nearest A&E to Seaham is Sunderland Royal Hospital, 5.1 miles away.
| Census 2021 | Seaham | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.2% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 22% | 17% |
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
Below are three of its 9 schools, each with why it was picked. Attainment 8 at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km averages 45.7, and 46% of pupils get grade 5 or above in English and maths. Key Stage 2 results at the town’s 7 primary schools: just over two thirds of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaham Trinity Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 349 | C− |
| Seaham High SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 1,095 | B |
| New Seaham AcademyTop results in townPrimary | Primary | 216 | A+ |
10% of the population is aged 15 to 24, lower than both County Durham’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). Half of Seaham is older than 43.6, half younger. Over-65s are a fifth of the population.
51% women, 49% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Seaham | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 20% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 25% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.3% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 22% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more crime per resident: police.uk counts crimes where they happen, not where victims live.
The violent crime rate is 34.3 per 1,000 residents a year. 2,108 crimes and 670 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Seaham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Among the 645 UK towns of 10,000 to 50,000 people, Seaham has more crime per resident than 72% of them. There were 20.9 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), higher than both County Durham’s towns (16) and England’s towns (7.8).
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.
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Social housing holds 22% of households, higher than both County Durham’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). Private rents average £650 a month across the County Durham council area. From September 2023 to August 2026, 767 homes sold inside Seaham’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £130,000.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £266,000 | 126 |
| Semi-detached | £151,500 | 242 |
| Terraced | £97,000 | 374 |
| Flat or maisonette | £103,000 | 25 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II* covers 1 of them. Listed buildings per head: 6 for every 10,000 residents of Seaham. Of the town’s land, 5% lies in conservation areas, between County Durham’s towns (0%) and England’s towns (7%).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 22% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
25% of commuters who live in Seaham also work there. At the census, 18% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, between County Durham’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (27%). Driving is how four in five commuters got to work at the census.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Seaham. Best known first.
MuseumRyhope Engines Museum1.3 km outside town, to the northZooZooDown at the Farm4.3 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
12 listed buildings in Seaham.
Church of St Hild and St Helen: Photo: GracieLizzie · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Seaham Colliery Disaster Memorial: Photo: FromMorningToMidnight · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 1,2,3 and 4, Bath Terrace: Photo: John Lucas · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Christ Church: Photo: FromMorningToMidnight · CC BY-SA 4.0
46 notable people were born in Seaham.
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaham | 21,660 | — | C+ | A− | C− | D |
| Murton | 7,239 | 1.9 | C | A− | D− | D− |
| South Hetton | 2,877 | 3.4 | B− | A− | C | D |
| Easington | 6,968 | 3.6 | C | A− | D− | D− |
| Easington Lane | 4,170 | 3.8 | C+ | A | D | D− |
| Hetton-le-Hole | 8,968 | 4.1 | C | A− | D | D− |
| Haswell | 1,185 | 4.5 | — | A− | C | D− |
| Houghton-le-Spring | 12,552 | 4.8 | B− | A− | D | D |
Haswell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
By type: flats £103,000, terraced houses £97,000, semi-detached houses £151,500 and detached houses £266,000.
Band D council tax in Seaham is £2,760 for 2026–27, more than in 98% 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.
Police recorded 2,108 crimes inside Seaham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 36% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
Large town in County Durham, England
Seaham is a built-up area of 21,660 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
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.
