Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,525 in County Durham, North East.
Witton Gilbert grades B overall against UK towns: better than 65% of UK towns, and #9 of 52 in County Durham. 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 76.5 for men, 82.5 for women. The median home sold for £125,000 in the last three years, 2.9 times what households in the County Durham council area earn in a year.
The 3 things Witton Gilbert does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Witton Gilbert is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Historic England lists 10 buildings inside Witton Gilbert’s built-up area, 1 of them Grade II*.
15% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Witton Gilbert. Best known first.
CastleDurham Castle4.7 km outside town, to the southeast
CathedralDurham Cathedral4.9 km outside town, to the southeast
Theme parkDiggerland2.1 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumDurham University Museum of Archaeology4.8 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttraction · National TrustCrook Hall Gardens4.4 km outside town, to the southeastAttractionAttractionUshaw Historic House, Chapels & Gardens2.2 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Witton Gilbert.
Disability touches 21% of Witton Gilbert’s population. The town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 0.8 miles away. At the census, 6.5% of residents said their health was bad or very bad, below County Durham’s towns (7.3%) but above England’s towns (5.2%). Asked at the census, nearly four in five residents of Witton Gilbert said they were in good or very good health.
| Census 2021 | Witton Gilbert | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 79% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.5% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 22% | 17% |
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.
Secondary results at the 2 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 46.8, with 44% at grade 5 or above in English and maths. The town has one school, shown below. Key Stage 2 results at the 10 primary schools within 3 km: 58% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witton Gilbert Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 188 | C− |
68% of households own their home, higher than both County Durham’s towns (62%) and England’s towns (61%). The £125,000 median rests on 91 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026). Private rents average £650 a month across the County Durham council area.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £247,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £139,000 | 52 |
| Terraced | £110,000 | 29 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
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.
The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 1.2%. At the census, 10% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, lower than both County Durham’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (27%); what’s more, for 28% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. Of the commuters living in Witton Gilbert, 2% work in the town itself.
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
There were 4.6 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), below County Durham’s towns (16.5) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Violence comes to 18.4 per 1,000 residents a year. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 100 recorded crimes inside Witton Gilbert’s built-up area, and 10 reports of anti-social behaviour. Also worth knowing: among the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, Witton Gilbert has less crime per resident than 77% of them.
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.
data.police.uk street-level crime · points inside the ONS built-up-area boundary · OGL
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
15% of homes were built before 1919. Grade II* covers 1 of them. For its size, Witton Gilbert has 40 listed buildings per 10,000 residents, higher than County Durham’s towns (7) and near England’s towns (39).
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
The median resident of Witton Gilbert is 45.3 years old. The under-15s are 16% of the population here. On top of that, the 15-to-24 age group: 10%, lower than both County Durham’s towns (12%) and England’s towns (12%). Degrees are held by 30% of adults.
51% women, 49% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Witton Gilbert | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 19% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.3% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 17% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 30% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Witton Gilbert | 2,525 | — | B | A− | B+ | D |
| Sacriston | 5,186 | 0.8 | C+ | A− | D | D |
| Langley Park | 4,031 | 1.8 | C− | A− | C− | C− |
| Ushaw Moor and Bearpark | 6,483 | 2.1 | C | A− | D | D |
| New Brancepeth | 1,280 | 2.9 | — | A | D | D |
| Burnhope | 1,465 | 3.1 | — | A− | C+ | C+ |
| Durham | 50,502 | 3.3 | B+ | B | D | C |
| Whitehill | 1,679 | 3.4 | — | B | D | D− |
New Brancepeth, Burnhope and Whitehill have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £125,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £110,000, semi-detached houses £139,000 and detached houses £247,000.
Police recorded 100 crimes inside Witton Gilbert’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, 50% of them violence and sexual offences, a police category that includes harassment and stalking.
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Town in County Durham, England
Witton Gilbert is a built-up area of 2,525 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
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.