Thornley’s story
No listed buildings inside Thornley’s built-up area
8% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
ThornleyCounty Durham
9% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. A town in County Durham, North East, home to 2,543 people.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Tom Tunney · Public domain
Population
2,543
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£125K
94 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.1
21% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
21%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
C−
#34 of 52 in County Durham
Is Thornley a good place to live?
Cheap to live in, with trade-offs. Overall, Thornley earns a C−, which places it #34 of 52 in County Durham. Set against the rest, it does better than 25% of UK towns. Health lags: life expectancy 74.7 for men, 81.3 for women. Prices are modest for what you get: homes sell for a median £125,000, about 2.9 times local household income.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · life expectancy, ONS.
What makes Thornley stand out
The 3 things Thornley 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%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
55% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Household income, against UK towns
Work
Mean, before tax: lower than in 98% of UK towns
ONS small-area income estimates.
How Thornley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Thornley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthGraded on how healthy residents areD−Open →Jobs & income3.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsDOpen →SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →WalkabilityIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedC−Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnA−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 60% of towns in EnglandBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 3.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsB+Open →Civic life1.2 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryB+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thornley.
History
Most of Thornley is newer: only 8% of homes were built before 1919, below County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list has no building inside Thornley’s built-up area.
0listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II0
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
8%
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
SchoolsB
Results at Thornley’s schools beat 63% of towns in England
The town has one school, shown below. Its one primary school teaches 124 pupils.
BSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornley AcademyLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 124 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
More people in Thornley say their health is bad than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 9.6%
Nearly three quarters of Thornley’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, below both County Durham’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (82%). Disability touches just over a quarter of the town’s population. The nearest A&E to Thornley is University Hospital North Durham, 6.6 miles away.
74%good or very good healthD−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 74%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 10%
| Census 2021 | Thornley | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 74% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 9.6% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 26% | 22% | 17% |
74.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Because the census answers ignore age, a younger population lifts them; that is why the Health Grade is built on age-adjusted measures like life expectancy and early deaths.
Safety
Thornley records more burglary and damage per resident than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns, at 27.4 per 1,000 a year
Violence came to 30.9 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than County Durham’s towns (36.6) yet higher than England’s towns (22). Police recorded 182 crimes inside Thornley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 39 reports of anti-social behaviour. Also worth knowing: for its size, Thornley records more crime per resident than 90% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people.
30.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 10% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual67
Damage & arson55
Vehicle crime14
Public order11
Burglary11
Other theft8
Other crime7
Shoplifting4
Anti-social39
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.
30.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
27.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
14.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
182
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Commuters in Thornley travel far: only 20% go under 5 km, fewer than in County Durham’s towns or 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.
6% of commuters who live in Thornley also work there. The car took 89% of commuters, above County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. Households take home £38K a year before tax, on average.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving89%
On foot4%
Bus4%
Bicycle1%
20%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
20%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£38K
mean household income, before tax
3.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 19% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
HousingCost of living grade A−
Private renting is less common in Thornley than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 12%
Social housing holds 24% of households. Half of the 94 standard sales inside Thornley’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £125,000. Private rents average £650 a month across the County Durham council area.
£125Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Thornley£125K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £197,000 | 34 |
| Semi-detached | £113,000 | 35 |
| Terraced | £80,000 | 25 |
63%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,791
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer people in Thornley hold a degree than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 21%
Nearly one in ten residents are 15 to 24, below County Durham’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Thornley has a median age of 45.1. Over-65s are 21% of the population.
45.1median age
ThornleyCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
21%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications27%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level21%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Thornley | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.3% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 21% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 27% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 21% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thornley
13pages on Thornley
The big questions
SafetyD30.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £125K · rent £650 a monthHousing25 sold in 12 months · busiest street Cottingham GroveSchoolsB1 state schoolHealthD−Life expectancy 74.7 (men), 81.3 (women)Work & commuteD39% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Thornley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Wheatley HillShotton CollieryHaswellKelloeTrimdon CollieryTrimdon GrangeWingateThornley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornley | 2,543 | — | C− | A− | D | D− |
| Wheatley Hill | 3,148 | 1.2 | C | A− | D− | D− |
| Shotton Colliery | 4,943 | 2.2 | C | A− | D | D− |
| Haswell | 1,185 | 2.4 | — | A− | C | D− |
| Kelloe | 1,434 | 2.5 | — | A | D | D |
| Trimdon Colliery | 1,788 | 2.6 | — | A− | D− | D− |
| Trimdon Grange | 1,233 | 2.7 | — | A− | D | D |
| Wingate | 5,033 | 2.9 | D | B+ | D | D |
Haswell, Kelloe, Trimdon Colliery and Trimdon Grange have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Thornley
Is Thornley expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £125,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £80,000, semi-detached houses £113,000 and detached houses £197,000.
Is Thornley safe?
Police recorded 182 crimes inside Thornley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 37% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
How much is council tax in Thornley?
Band D council tax in Thornley is £2,791 for 2026–27, more than in 99% 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 Thornley
Town in County Durham, England
Thornley is a built-up area of 2,543 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
- 2,543 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000204
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.