Toft Hill and High Etherley’s story
5 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Toft Hill and High Etherley’s built-up area.
34% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Toft Hill and High EtherleyCounty Durham
A village of 1,865 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Hugh Mortimer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,865
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£127K
86 sales in 3 years
Median age
51
27% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
28%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Toft Hill and High Etherley a good place to live?
Toft Hill and High Etherley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. 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 walkability (D−): 6% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £126,750 in the last three years, 3 times what households in the County Durham council area earn in a year.
What makes Toft Hill and High Etherley stand out
The 3 things Toft Hill and High Etherley does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
6% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
54% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
How Toft Hill and High Etherley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Toft Hill and High Etherley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityD−Open →Hazard riskAOpen →Cost of livingrent £650 a monthA−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 25% of towns in England; secondary results beat 29% of towns in EnglandC−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £41,400; 2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 78.1 for men, 85.5 for womenCOpen →SafetyB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryB−Open →Outdoors83% live within 400 m of a park; 2.5 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life0.5 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 Toft Hill and High Etherley.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
More commuters in Toft Hill and High Etherley drive than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 92%
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.
That puts Toft Hill and High Etherley above both County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%). For 25% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving92%
On foot3%
Bus1%
Bicycle1%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
22%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£41K
mean household income, before tax
2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
D−
Walkability: more walkable than 3% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
SchoolsC−
Results at Toft Hill and High Etherley’s schools trail 78% of towns in England
Its one school is below.
C−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toft Hill Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 203 | B+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
HousingCost of living grade A−
More households own their home in Toft Hill and High Etherley than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 79%
On this, Toft Hill and High Etherley is above both County Durham’s towns (62%) and England’s towns (61%). 10% of households live in social housing.
£127Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Toft Hill and High Etherley£127K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £295,000 | 18 |
| Semi-detached | £161,500 | 20 |
| Terraced | £107,000 | 48 |
79%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,552
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
78% of residents say their health is good or very good
78% of Toft Hill and High Etherley’s residents described their health as good or very good in 2021, against 77% across County Durham’s towns. 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.
78%good or very good healthCHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Toft Hill and High Etherley | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.9% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 22% | 22% | 17% |
78.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.5
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Safety
Violent crime runs low in Toft Hill and High Etherley: 13.9 per 1,000 residents a year, under County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
In the comparison, Toft Hill and High Etherley comes below both County Durham’s towns (36.6) and England’s towns (22). Burglary and damage come to 12.7 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 73 crimes inside Toft Hill and High Etherley’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 14 reports of anti-social behaviour.
13.9violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearB+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 44% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual27
Burglary14
Vehicle crime10
Damage & arson8
Public order8
Other theft4
Drugs1
Other crime1
Anti-social14
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.
13.9
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
12.7
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
73
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
Old homes shape Toft Hill and High Etherley: 34% were built before 1919, more than in 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.
For Toft Hill and High Etherley, that is above both County Durham’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (16%). Toft Hill and High Etherley has 5 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 0 Grade I, 0 Grade II*.
5listed buildingsB−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II5
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
34%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
27
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
An older town: 27% of people in Toft Hill and High Etherley are 65 or over, more than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns
Toft Hill and High Etherley sits above both County Durham’s towns (21%) and England’s towns (18%) on this measure. 14% of residents are children under 15. The median resident of Toft Hill and High Etherley is 51 years old.
51median age
Toft Hill and High EtherleyCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level28%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 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.
| Toft Hill and High Etherley | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.4% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 20% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 31% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 28% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Auckland Castle and 7 more in and around Toft Hill and High Etherley
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Toft Hill and High Etherley. Best known first.
Historic house · English HeritageAuckland Castle4.2 km outside town, to the east
CastleWitton Castle1.6 km outside town, to the northwest
Art galleryMining Art Gallery4 km outside town, to the eastTheme parkTheme parkKynren4 km outside town, to the northeastCastleCastle · English HeritageAuckland Castle Deer Shelter4.5 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumFaith Museum4.1 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 (3)
- Auckland Castle: Pit-yacker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Witton Castle: Hugh Mortimer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mining Art Gallery: Oliver Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Toft Hill and High Etherley
14pages on Toft Hill and High Etherley
The big questions
SafetyB+13.9 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £127K · rent £650 a monthHousing27 sold in 12 months · busiest street Toft HillSchoolsC−1 state schoolHealthCLife expectancy 78.1 (men), 85.5 (women)Work & commuteC41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Toft Hill and High Etherley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
West AucklandEvenwoodBishop AucklandCockfieldCrookShildonCoundon and LeeholmeToft Hill and High Etherley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toft Hill and High Etherley | 1,865 | — | — | A− | B+ | C |
| West Auckland | 3,107 | 1.7 | D | A− | D− | D |
| Evenwood | 1,587 | 2 | — | A− | D | C |
| Bishop Auckland | 23,359 | 2.7 | D | A− | D− | D |
| Cockfield | 1,351 | 3.5 | — | A | C | C |
| Crook | 9,717 | 4.2 | C− | A | D | D |
| Shildon | 9,650 | 4.5 | D | A− | D− | D− |
| Coundon and Leeholme | 2,522 | 4.8 | C− | A | D− | D− |
Evenwood and Cockfield have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Toft Hill and High Etherley
Is Toft Hill and High Etherley expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £107,000, semi-detached houses £161,500 and detached houses £295,000.
Are schools in Toft Hill and High Etherley good?
GCSE results trail 72% of towns in England, and primary results trail 75% (Department for Education, Attainment 8 and Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by County Durham council.
About Toft Hill and High Etherley
Village in County Durham, England
Toft Hill and High Etherley is a built-up area of 1,865 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
- 1,865 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000266
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.