Tow Law’s story
8 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Tow Law’s built-up area, along with 1 scheduled monument.
51% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Tow LawCounty Durham
Walking, cycling and public transport carry 13% of commuters. The village, home to 1,796 people, lies in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,796
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£91K
60 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.4
22% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
22%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
13%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Tow Law a good place to live?
Tow Law does especially well on cost of living — the median home sold for £91,000, 2.1 years of area income. Pupils here do less well than most: primary results beat 4% of towns in England. Jobs & income is weaker too: households earn a mean £38,085 a year, and 3.6% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Hazard risk is lower than in most UK towns (A). Health lags (D−): life expectancy 76.9 for men, 79.2 for women. Safety is weaker too (D): 43.8 violent and sexual offences and 20 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Against UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, it has more crime per resident than 96%.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · income and life expectancy, ONS · claimants, DWP · flood risk, Environment Agency · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Tow Law is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
What makes Tow Law stand out
The 3 things Tow Law does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
67% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Homes built before 1919
History
51% of homes built before 1919
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
13% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
How Tow Law grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Tow Law is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Tow Law is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentD−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 4% of towns in EnglandD−Open →HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedD−Open →SafetyAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesA−Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryAbove the middle of the towns comparedB+Open →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 21% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeA−Open →Civic life1.1 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryDOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Tow Law.
SchoolsD−
Tow Law’s schools fall behind 98% of towns in England on results
Below is one of its 2 schools, and why it was picked. Some 160 pupils attend Tow Law’s two primaries. 47% of pupils at the town’s 2 primary schools met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
D−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blessed John Duckett Catholic Primary School, Tow LawLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 83 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
Health
Only 73% of people in Tow Law say their health is good or very good, fewer than in County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
Nearly one in ten residents report bad or very bad health. At the census, a quarter of people here had a disability, above both County Durham’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (17%). Women here live to 79.2 on average and men to 76.9 (2019–23). There is no GP practice in Tow Law: the nearest is 3.3 miles off.
73%good or very good healthD−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 73%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 9%
| Census 2021 | Tow Law | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 73% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.9% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 25% | 22% | 17% |
76.9
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
79.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · No age adjustment applies to these census answers, which flatter younger towns; the Health Grade’s measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them, do allow for age.
Safety
More crimes per resident in Tow Law than in 90% of UK towns
Over the year to August 2026, 213 offences were reported in Tow Law, along with 52 incidents of anti-social behaviour. There were 17.5 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above County Durham’s towns (16) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Half of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
43.8violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearDSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 4% 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 & sexual107
Public order26
Damage & arson23
Burglary14
Other crime13
Vehicle crime11
Shoplifting8
Other theft6
Anti-social52
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.
43.8
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
20
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
17.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
213
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.
HousingCost of living grade A−
More households in Tow Law live in social housing than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 24%
Owners make up 57% of households. 60 standard sales inside Tow Law’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 put the median at £91,000. Private rents average £650 a month across the County Durham council area.
£91Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Tow Law£91K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £200,000 | 7 |
| Semi-detached | £92,000 | 13 |
| Terraced | £80,000 | 39 |
57%
of households own their home · England 61%
19%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,588
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
History
Tow Law keeps more of its old housing than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 51% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II covers all 8 listed buildings that Historic England records here. One scheduled monument lies in Tow Law. The town has 45 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents, above both County Durham’s towns (7) and England’s towns (39).
8listed buildingsB+History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II8
1
scheduled monument
0
registered parks and gardens
51%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
45
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Only 16% of Tow Law’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 15% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
15% of workers worked mainly from home, lower than both County Durham’s towns (22%) and England’s towns (31%). There are 0.5 jobs in Tow Law for each resident in work. Of the commuters living here, 8% work in the town itself.
13%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving86%
On foot11%
Bus1%
16%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
15%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£38K
mean household income, before tax
3.6%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C+
Walkability: more walkable than 43% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Who lives here
Fewer people in Tow Law hold a degree than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 22%
Under-15s account for 16% of the population. Typical age in Tow Law: 44.4, the median.
44.4median age
Tow LawCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
22%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications25%
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.
| Tow Law | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 22% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 25% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 6.9% | 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tow Law
15pages on Tow Law
The big questions
SafetyD43.8 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £91K · rent £650 a monthHousing22 sold in 12 months · busiest street High StreetSchoolsD−2 state schoolsHealthD−Life expectancy 76.9 (men), 79.2 (women)Work & commuteD−41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Tow Law
6 notable people were born in Tow Law.
Tow Law’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WolsinghamBilly RowCrookEsh WinningWillingtonLanchesterLangley ParkTow Law
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tow Law | 1,796 | — | — | A− | D | D− |
| Wolsingham | 2,428 | 2.8 | — | B | B | B− |
| Billy Row | 1,254 | 2.9 | — | A | C+ | C− |
| Crook | 9,717 | 3.6 | C− | A | D | D |
| Esh Winning | 3,877 | 4.5 | C | A− | C− | D |
| Willington | 5,685 | 5.5 | D | A− | D− | D− |
| Lanchester | 3,510 | 6 | B+ | B+ | B | B− |
| Langley Park | 4,031 | 6.6 | C− | A− | C− | C− |
Wolsingham and Billy Row have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Tow Law
Is Tow Law expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £91,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £80,000, semi-detached houses £92,000 and detached houses £200,000.
Are schools in Tow Law good?
Primary results trail 96% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). Tow Law has 2 state schools; places are handled by County Durham council.
How many listed buildings are there in Tow Law?
That is 1.8 times the typical UK town for its size. It also has 1 scheduled monument.
About Tow Law
Village in County Durham, England
Tow Law is a built-up area of 1,796 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
- 1,796 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000207
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.