Urpeth’s story
No listed buildings inside Urpeth’s built-up area
11% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
UrpethCounty Durham
A village of 2,048 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Alex McGregor · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,048
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£150K
72 sales in 3 years
Median age
46.5
19% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
30%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
6%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Urpeth a good place to live?
Urpeth has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Its strongest subject is safety (A): 7 violent and sexual offences and 7.5 home and vehicle crimes per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Its weakest is walkability (D−): 6% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The median home sold for £150,000 in the last three years, 3.5 times what households in the County Durham council area earn in a year.
What makes Urpeth stand out
The 3 things Urpeth 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%)
89%of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Safety
Less crime than 89%
of UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people
Per resident, police.uk, 3 years.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
46% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
How Urpeth grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Urpeth is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
WalkabilityD−Open →SafetyAOpen →Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →Cost of livingrent £650 a monthA−Open →Jobs & incomeMean household income £52,619; 1.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB+Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 43% of towns in England; secondary results beat 36% of towns in EnglandC+Open →HealthLife expectancy 80.7 for men, 84.8 for womenBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 1.3 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 Urpeth.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Urpeth is a driving town: 91% of commuters go by car, above County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 27% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Urpeth sits above both County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%) on this measure. For 25% of commuters, work was under 5 km away.
6%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving91%
On foot3%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
25%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
27%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£53K
mean household income, before tax
1.5%
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
History
Most of Urpeth is newer: only 11% 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.
That puts Urpeth below both County Durham’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (16%).
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
11%
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
Safety
Urpeth has less crime per resident than 94% of UK towns
Violence came to 7 per 1,000 residents a year, below both County Durham’s towns (36.6) and England’s towns (22). Police recorded 31 crimes inside Urpeth’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 11 reports of anti-social behaviour. Violence and sexual offences were 52% of the crimes; the police category includes harassment and stalking.
7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearASafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 89% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: less crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual16
Burglary7
Other crime3
Vehicle crime2
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social11
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.
7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
31
crimes recorded in the 12 months to August 2026
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
HousingCost of living grade A−
Urpeth is a town of owners: 86% of households own their home, above County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
On this, Urpeth is above both County Durham’s towns (62%) and England’s towns (61%). Social housing holds 2% of households.
£150Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Urpeth£150K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £255,000 | 13 |
| Semi-detached | £165,000 | 27 |
| Terraced | £135,000 | 23 |
| Flat or maisonette | £70,000 | 9 |
86%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,541
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
Bad health is less common in Urpeth than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 3.3% of residents
In the comparison, Urpeth comes below both County Durham’s towns (7.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Urpeth has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1 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.
85%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 85%Fair 12%Bad or very bad 3%
| Census 2021 | Urpeth | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 85% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 3.3% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 16% | 22% | 17% |
80.7
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Who lives here
Children make up only 14% of Urpeth, fewer than in County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
For Urpeth, that is below both County Durham’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). People aged 15 to 24 make up 10% of the town. Urpeth has a median age of 46.5.
46.5median age
UrpethCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
19%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar22%
Degree level30%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Urpeth | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 33% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 19% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.9% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 22% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Beamish Museum and 7 more in and around Urpeth
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Urpeth. Best known first.
MuseumBeamish Museum2.8 km outside town, to the west · 350K visitors a year
CastleLumley Castle4.5 km outside town, to the southeast
CastleLambton Castle4.7 km outside town, to the southeast
CastleRavensworth Castle4.4 km outside town, to the north
Heritage railwayTanfield Railway4.5 km outside town, to the northwest
MuseumBowes Railway4.9 km outside town, to the northeastPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Beamish Museum: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lumley Castle: Bill Henderson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lambton Castle: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ravensworth Castle: john tollitt, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tanfield Railway: Stephen Daglish, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bowes Railway: Chris Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Urpeth
14pages on Urpeth
The big questions
SafetyA7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £150K · rent £650 a monthHousing21 sold in 12 months · busiest street Carlton CloseSchoolsC+HealthBLife expectancy 80.7 (men), 84.8 (women)Work & commuteB+42% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Urpeth’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Pelton and OustonKibblesworthNewfieldBirtleyWhitehillChester-le-StreetSpringwellUrpeth
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urpeth | 2,048 | — | — | A− | A | B |
| Pelton and Ouston | 7,305 | 0.8 | C | B+ | C− | C− |
| Kibblesworth | 1,500 | 1.2 | — | B− | B− | D |
| Newfield | 1,529 | 1.5 | — | A− | B+ | D |
| Birtley | 13,840 | 1.7 | C | C+ | C− | D |
| Whitehill | 1,679 | 2.1 | — | B | D | D− |
| Chester-le-Street | 23,554 | 2.5 | B | A− | C− | C |
| Springwell | 2,141 | 3.2 | — | B+ | B+ | C |
Kibblesworth, Newfield, Whitehill and Springwell have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Urpeth
Is Urpeth expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £150,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £70,000, terraced houses £135,000, semi-detached houses £165,000 and detached houses £255,000.
Does Urpeth flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Urpeth
Village in County Durham, England
Urpeth is a built-up area of 2,048 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
- 2,048 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000141
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.