Tanfield Lea’s story
No listed buildings inside Tanfield Lea’s built-up area
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Tanfield LeaCounty Durham
2,399 people call this village in County Durham, North East home.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,399
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£117K
77 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.7
24% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Tanfield Lea a good place to live?
Prices are modest for what you get: homes sell for a median £117,000, about 2.7 times local household income. Health lags: life expectancy 78 for men, 80.3 for women. Jobs & income is weaker too: households earn a mean £40,638 a year, and 2.9% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety, B for schools and B for walkability.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · commuting, Census 2021. Below 2,500 residents there is no overall grade, so Tanfield Lea has its subject grades alone.
What makes Tanfield Lea stand out
The 3 things Tanfield Lea does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
58% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
County Durham 27%.
How Tanfield Lea grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Tanfield Lea is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentDOpen →Cost of livingRent £650 a monthA−Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carBOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 62% of towns in England; secondary results beat 47% of towns in EnglandBOpen →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors89% live within 400 m of a park; 3.8 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsA−Open →Civic life1.7 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryC−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Tanfield Lea.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Tanfield Lea than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 22% of adults
People aged 15 to 24 make up nearly a tenth of the town, below County Durham’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Over-65s are nearly a quarter of the population. Half the people of Tanfield Lea are older than 48.7.
48.7median age
Tanfield LeaCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship7%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level22%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Tanfield Lea | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.4% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.1% | 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
SchoolsB
Results at Tanfield Lea’s schools beat 57% of towns in England
GCSE results at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km: 43% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 46.2. Both of its schools are shown below. Some 1,064 pupils attend Tanfield Lea’s one primary and one secondary.
BSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanfield Lea Community Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 325 | B |
| Tanfield SchoolLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 739 | A− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
History
No listed buildings in Tanfield Lea
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 15% of the total, below County Durham’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (16%) alike. Historic England’s list has no building inside Tanfield Lea’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
15%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
0
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Only 75% of people in Tanfield Lea say their health is good or very good, fewer than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The nearest A&E to Tanfield Lea is Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 6.6 miles away. 7.6% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, near County Durham’s towns (7.3%) and higher than England’s towns (5.2%). Women here live to 80.3 on average and men to 78 (2019–23). There is no GP practice here: the nearest is 0.7 miles off.
75%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Tanfield Lea | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.6% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 24% | 22% | 17% |
78
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
80.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
HousingCost of living grade A−
Few households rent privately in Tanfield Lea: 14%, fewer than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
65% of households own their home. Social renters account for 21% of households. The £117,000 median rests on 77 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026).
£117Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Tanfield Lea£117K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £231,500 | 6 |
| Semi-detached | £145,000 | 28 |
| Terraced | £90,000 | 43 |
65%
of households own their home · England 61%
14%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,622
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Only 30% of Tanfield Lea’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 20% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Walking, cycling and public transport carried 15% of commuters at the census. Of the commuters living in Tanfield Lea, 4% work in the town itself. Home was the main workplace for a fifth of workers at the census.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
Bus8%
On foot6%
Bicycle1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
20%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£41K
mean household income, before tax
2.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B
Walkability: more walkable than 58% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Tanfield Lea records 11.1 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, against 18.3 in County Durham’s towns and 9.4 in England’s towns
The violent crime rate is 21.1 per 1,000 residents a year. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 96 recorded crimes inside Tanfield Lea’s built-up area, and 35 reports of anti-social behaviour. For its size, Tanfield Lea records more crime per resident than 70% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people. Violence and sexual offences accounted for 56% of recorded crime.
21.1violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 30% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual54
Damage & arson16
Vehicle crime9
Public order7
Other theft5
Burglary3
Other crime2
Shoplifting0
Anti-social35
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.
21.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.1
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
96
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL · The police category of violence and sexual offences includes harassment and stalking.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Beamish Museum and 5 more in and around Tanfield Lea
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Tanfield Lea. Best known first.
MuseumBeamish Museum2.6 km outside town, to the east · 350K visitors a year
Heritage railwayTanfield Railway2.5 km outside town, to the northeast
Historic house · National TrustGibside3.7 km outside town, to the north
CastleHamsterley Hall4.1 km outside town, to the westGardenGardenBirkheads Secret Gardens3.2 km outside town, to the northeastAttractionAttractionTiny Tim2.8 km outside town, to the eastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Beamish Museum: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tanfield Railway: Stephen Daglish, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gibside: John Darch, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hamsterley Hall: P Glenwright, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tanfield Lea
14pages on Tanfield Lea
The big questions
SafetyB−21.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £117K · rent £650 a monthHousing21 sold in 12 months · busiest street WhinsideSchoolsB2 state schoolsHealthDLife expectancy 78 (men), 80.3 (women)Work & commuteD36% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Tanfield Lea’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
StanleyAnnfield PlainDiptonBurnopfieldRowlands GillSunnisideBurnhopeTanfield Lea
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanfield Lea | 2,399 | — | — | A− | B− | D |
| Stanley | 19,423 | 1.1 | C | A− | D− | D− |
| Annfield Plain | 7,786 | 1.7 | D | A− | D | D− |
| Dipton | 2,653 | 1.8 | B− | A− | C | D |
| Burnopfield | 2,998 | 2.1 | A− | A− | B+ | C− |
| Rowlands Gill | 5,254 | 3.4 | C | C+ | B− | C+ |
| Sunniside | 3,422 | 3.4 | B | B− | C+ | C+ |
| Burnhope | 1,465 | 3.7 | — | A− | C+ | C+ |
Burnhope has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Tanfield Lea
Is Tanfield Lea expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £117,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £90,000, semi-detached houses £145,000 and detached houses £231,500.
Does Tanfield Lea flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Tanfield Lea
Village in County Durham, England
Tanfield Lea is a built-up area of 2,399 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
- 2,399 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000145
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.