Whitehill’s story
No listed buildings inside Whitehill’s built-up area
7% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
WhitehillCounty Durham
A village of 1,679 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,679
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£210K
115 sales in 3 years
Median age
36.8
14% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
9%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Whitehill a good place to live?
Whitehill 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 health (D−): life expectancy 73.5 for men, 80.8 for women. The median home sold for £210,000 in the last three years, 4.9 times what households in the County Durham council area earn in a year.
What makes Whitehill stand out
The 3 things Whitehill 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%)
Household income, against UK towns
Work
£38K household income
Mean, before tax: lower than in 98% of UK towns
ONS small-area income estimates.
Life expectancy, against UK towns
Health
80.8 and 73.5 years
OHID Fingertips, 2019–23.
How Whitehill grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Whitehill is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthD−Open →SafetyDOpen →Hazard riskAOpen →Jobs & income2.9% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsDOpen →WalkabilityC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 71% of towns in England; secondary results beat 59% of towns in EnglandB+Open →Cost of livingrent £650 a monthBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History0 listed buildingsD−Open →Outdoors0% live within 400 m of a park; 0.3 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC−Open →Civic life0.6 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 Whitehill.
History
Whitehill has fewer old homes than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 7% built before 1919
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
For Whitehill, that is 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
7%
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
Health
Life expectancy in Whitehill is shorter than in 94% of UK towns
Women here live to 80.8 on average and men to 73.5 (2019–23). 8.1% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, above both County Durham’s towns (7.3%) and England’s towns (5.2%). One GP practice serves the town; 83% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
78%good or very good healthD−Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 14%Bad or very bad 8%
| Census 2021 | Whitehill | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.1% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 22% | 17% |
73.5
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
80.8
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL
Safety
Whitehill records more burglary and damage per resident than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns, at 21.6 per 1,000 a year
Whitehill sits above both County Durham’s towns (17.7) and England’s towns (9.4) on this measure. Violence comes to 45.1 per 1,000 residents a year. Police recorded 142 crimes inside Whitehill’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 52 reports of anti-social behaviour.
45.1violent 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 & sexual67
Damage & arson31
Other theft10
Burglary9
Other crime8
Public order7
Drugs4
Vehicle crime4
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.
45.1
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
21.6
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
22.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
142
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
Only 9% of commuters in Whitehill go to work without a car, fewer than in County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 21% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
That puts Whitehill below both County Durham’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (27%). 26% of commuters travelled under 5 km to work.
9%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving88%
Bus6%
On foot3%
26%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
21%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£38K
mean household income, before tax
2.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
C−
Walkability: more walkable than 21% 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 B
Social housing is more common in Whitehill than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns, at 33% of households
On this, Whitehill is above both County Durham’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). 12% of households rent privately.
£210Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Whitehill£210K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £299,995 | 49 |
| Semi-detached | £169,950 | 41 |
| Terraced | £115,000 | 21 |
53%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,500
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
A town of families: 20% of people in Whitehill are under 15, more than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns
In the comparison, Whitehill comes above both County Durham’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (18%). Over-65s are 14% of the population. The median resident of Whitehill is 36.8 years old.
36.8median age
WhitehillCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
14%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications22%
Apprenticeship6%
A levels or similar20%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Whitehill | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.2% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 32% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 25% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 14% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 22% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 5.7% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 20% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 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 Whitehill
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Whitehill. Best known first.
MuseumBeamish Museum3.9 km outside town, to the northwest · 350K visitors a year
CastleLumley Castle3.2 km outside town, to the east
CastleLambton Castle4.4 km outside town, to the eastTheme parkTheme parkHolmside Park3.2 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionTiny Tim3.4 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 (3)
- 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Whitehill
15pages on Whitehill
The big questions
SafetyD45.1 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingBMedian home £210K · rent £650 a monthHousing31 sold in 12 months · busiest street Plantation CloseSchoolsB+HealthD−Life expectancy 73.5 (men), 80.8 (women)Work & commuteD41% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Whitehill’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
NewfieldChester-le-StreetPelton and OustonUrpethSacristonGreat LumleyBirtleyWhitehill
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitehill | 1,679 | — | — | B | D | D− |
| Newfield | 1,529 | 0.7 | — | A− | B+ | D |
| Chester-le-Street | 23,554 | 1.1 | B | A− | C− | C |
| Pelton and Ouston | 7,305 | 1.4 | C | B+ | C− | C− |
| Urpeth | 2,048 | 2.1 | — | A− | A | B |
| Sacriston | 5,186 | 2.7 | C+ | A− | D | D |
| Great Lumley | 3,627 | 3 | B+ | B+ | B | C− |
| Birtley | 13,840 | 3.1 | C | C+ | C− | D |
Newfield and Urpeth have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Whitehill
Is Whitehill safe?
Police recorded 142 crimes inside Whitehill’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 47% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
Is Whitehill expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £210,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £115,000, semi-detached houses £169,950 and detached houses £299,995.
Does Whitehill flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Whitehill
Village in County Durham, England
Whitehill is a built-up area of 1,679 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
- 1,679 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000157
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.