Shadforth’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Shadforth’s built-up area.
19% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ShadforthCounty Durham
A village of 270 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
270
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median age
54.5
25% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
49%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Shadforth a good place to live?
Shadforth has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures on this page are still real.
What makes Shadforth stand out
The 3 things Shadforth does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
9% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
2 listed buildings
0 Grade II*; 3 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Own outright
Housing
49% own outright
of households own their home with no mortgage (England’s towns 32%)
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shadforth.
Work & commute
Fewer commuters in Shadforth work nearby than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 9% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 40% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Shadforth below both County Durham’s towns (41%) and England’s towns (45%). The car carried 82% of commuters at the census.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
On foot5%
Bus1%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
9%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
40%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£43K
mean household income, before tax
4.6%
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
Shadforth is a town of owners: 85% of households own their home, above County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Shadforth is above both County Durham’s towns (62%) and England’s towns (61%). Private renters make up 6% of households.
£0Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Shadforth£0K
Typical UK town£277K
85%
of households own their home · England 61%
6%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,540
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 Shadforth: 12.4 per 1,000 residents a year, under County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Shadforth comes below both County Durham’s towns (36) and England’s towns (22). Burglary and damage come to 7.4 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 4 crimes inside Shadforth’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour.
12.4violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual1
Other theft1
Burglary1
Vehicle crime1
Shoplifting0
Damage & arson0
Public order0
Drugs0
Anti-social5
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.
12.4
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
4
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Health
Disability is less common in Shadforth, 13% of residents, than in County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
For Shadforth, that is below both County Durham’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (17%). Shadforth has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.9 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 health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 86%Fair 10%Bad or very bad 4%
| Census 2021 | Shadforth | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 86% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.4% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 13% | 22% | 17% |
79.2
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
82.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
History
Much of Shadforth is a conservation area: 76% of its land, more than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Shadforth sits above both County Durham’s towns (0%) and England’s towns (7%) on this measure. Shadforth has 74 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. Shadforth has 2 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
2listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
19%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
74
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
More people in Shadforth hold a degree than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 49%
12% are under 15, below both County Durham’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). 25% of residents are 65 or over. Half the people of Shadforth are older than 54.5.
54.5median age
ShadforthCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
25%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship3%
A levels or similar14%
Degree level49%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Shadforth | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 14% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 37% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 25% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 14% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 49% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shadforth
11pages on Shadforth
The big questions
Shadforth’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
ThornleySherburnHigh PittingtonHaswellWheatley HillBowburnHigh ShincliffeShadforth
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadforth | 270 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Thornley | 2,543 | 1.3 | C− | A− | D | D− |
| Sherburn | 2,796 | 1.8 | B− | A− | C− | C− |
| High Pittington | 1,147 | 2.2 | — | B+ | B− | C− |
| Haswell | 1,185 | 2.5 | — | A− | C | D− |
| Wheatley Hill | 3,148 | 2.5 | C | A− | D− | D− |
| Bowburn | 4,843 | 2.7 | B | A− | C− | C− |
| High Shincliffe | 1,045 | 2.9 | — | C | A+ | C+ |
High Pittington, Haswell and High Shincliffe have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Shadforth
How many listed buildings are there in Shadforth?
2 on Historic England’s list. That is 3 times the typical UK town for its size. 19% of Shadforth’s homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
How much is council tax in Shadforth?
Band D council tax in Shadforth is £2,540 for 2026–27, more than in 74% 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.
About Shadforth
Village in County Durham, England
Shadforth is a built-up area of 270 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
- Population
- 270 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000198
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.