West Pelton’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside West Pelton’s built-up area.
71% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
West PeltonCounty Durham
The village has 680 residents and lies in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
680
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£103K
26 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.3
24% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
23%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
12%
of commuters · England 27%
Is West Pelton a good place to live?
West Pelton is below the 1,000 residents fair grades need, but every figure on this page is real. Pre-1919 homes make up 71% of the housing. The median sale price is £102,500. 12% of commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport.
What makes West Pelton stand out
The 3 things West Pelton does most differently from other towns.
Homes built before 1919
History
Against 15% in the typical UK town
Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
63% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
12% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
30% of commuters travel under 5 km.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in West Pelton.
Work & commute
More people aged 16 to 64 in West Pelton claim unemployment benefits than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 5.5%
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.
The car took 83% of commuters, above County Durham’s towns (80%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. 4% of commuters who live in West Pelton also work there. This County Durham town counts 0.2 jobs per working resident.
12%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving83%
Bus5%
On foot5%
Train1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
20%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£41K
mean household income, before tax
5.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Schools
The schools around West Pelton
GCSE results at the one secondary school within 3 km: 27% of pupils get a strong pass (grade 5+) in English and maths, and the Attainment 8 average is 39.9. Its only school is listed below. Key Stage 2 results at the 13 primary schools within 3 km: 55% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Pelton Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 55 | C |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Housing
More households in West Pelton live in social housing than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 24%
Owners make up 55% of households, below County Durham’s towns (62%) and England’s towns (61%) alike. From September 2023 to August 2026, 26 homes sold inside West Pelton’s built-up area at standard prices; the middle one went for £102,500. Private rents average £650 a month across the County Durham council area.
£103Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
West Pelton£103K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | £71,500 | 5 |
| Terraced | £117,500 | 17 |
55%
of households own their home · England 61%
21%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,572
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Safety
West Pelton records more violent crime per resident than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns, at 41.2 per 1,000 a year
Each year, 11.8 burglaries and acts of damage are recorded per 1,000 residents. Police figures for West Pelton’s built-up area: 42 crimes and 6 anti-social behaviour reports in the 12 months to August 2026. Violence and sexual offences were 50% of the crimes.
41.2violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual21
Damage & arson6
Other theft4
Shoplifting2
Public order2
Drugs2
Other crime2
Burglary1
Anti-social6
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.
41.2
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11.8
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
10.4
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
42
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.
Health
More people in West Pelton live with a disability than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 28%
The nearest A&E to West Pelton is Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 5.3 miles away. Poor health, by residents’ own account, affects 9.7% of the town. At the census, 72% of people in West Pelton called their health good or very good, below County Durham’s towns (77%) and England’s towns (82%) alike. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.5 miles away.
72%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 72%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 10%
| Census 2021 | West Pelton | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 72% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 9.7% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 28% | 22% | 17% |
76.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
77.7
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Self-reported health favours young towns, since these answers ignore age; the Health Grade leans on age-adjusted measures such as life expectancy and early deaths.
History
West Pelton’s one listed building is Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Historic England’s list puts 1 listed building inside West Pelton’s built-up area.
1listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
71%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
15
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
Few people in West Pelton are 15 to 24: 8.2%, fewer than in County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
24% of residents have reached 65. The age that splits West Pelton in two is 48.3. Degrees are held by nearly a quarter of adults, below both County Durham’s towns (27%) and England’s towns (34%).
48.3median age
West PeltonCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications25%
Apprenticeship10%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level23%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| West Pelton | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 25% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 9.8% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 23% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Beamish Museum and 4 more in and around West Pelton
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near West Pelton. Best known first.
MuseumBeamish Museum1.7 km outside town, to the northwest · 350K visitors a year
Heritage railwayTanfield Railway4.4 km outside town, to the northwestTheme parkTheme parkHolmside Park3.1 km outside town, to the southGardenGardenBirkheads Secret Gardens3.8 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionTiny Tim1.1 km outside town, to the northwestPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Beamish Museum: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tanfield Railway: Stephen Daglish, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about West Pelton
13pages on West Pelton
The big questions
Safety41.2 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £103K · rent £650 a monthHousing8 sold in 12 months · busiest street Twizell LaneSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 76.5 (men), 77.7 (women)Work & commute39% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
West Pelton’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
NewfieldUrpethPelton and OustonWhitehillStanleyKibblesworthChester-le-StreetWest Pelton
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Pelton | 680 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Newfield | 1,529 | 1 | — | A− | B+ | D |
| Urpeth | 2,048 | 1.6 | — | A− | A | B |
| Pelton and Ouston | 7,305 | 1.6 | C | B+ | C− | C− |
| Whitehill | 1,679 | 1.6 | — | B | D | D− |
| Stanley | 19,423 | 2 | C | A− | D− | D− |
| Kibblesworth | 1,500 | 2.4 | — | B− | B− | D |
| Chester-le-Street | 23,554 | 2.6 | B | A− | C− | C |
Newfield, Urpeth, Whitehill and Kibblesworth have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about West Pelton
Is West Pelton expensive to live in?
By type: terraced houses £117,500 and semi-detached houses £71,500.
How many listed buildings are there in West Pelton?
1 on Historic England’s list.
How much is council tax in West Pelton?
Band D council tax in West Pelton is £2,572 for 2026–27, more than in 81% 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 West Pelton
Village in County Durham, England
West Pelton is a built-up area of 680 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
- 680 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000149
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.