Witton-le-Wear’s story
11 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade II*
Historic England lists them inside Witton-le-Wear’s built-up area.
52% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
Witton-le-WearCounty Durham
A village of 571 in County Durham, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Chris Heaton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
571
Census 2021 · County Durham council
Median home
£275K
25 sales in 3 years
Median age
51
29% are 65+ · County Durham 21%
Degree level
44%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
10%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Witton-le-Wear a good place to live?
Towns under 1,000 residents aren’t graded, so Witton-le-Wear has no grades; its figures are still real. 52% of homes were built before 1919. One in ten commuters get to work on foot, by bike or by public transport. It skews older: 29% of residents are 65 or over.
What makes Witton-le-Wear stand out
The 3 things Witton-le-Wear 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.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
10% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
29% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Witton-le-Wear.
Who lives here
Witton-le-Wear has fewer young adults than County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 4.9% are 15 to 24
The median resident of Witton-le-Wear is 51 years old. Children under 15 make up 16%, close to County Durham’s towns (17%) and below England’s towns (18%). Degrees are held by 44% of adults.
51median age
Witton-le-WearCounty DurhamEngland
Ages · share of residents
29%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications12%
Apprenticeship4%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level44%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Witton-le-Wear | County Durham | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 4.9% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 21% | 24% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| 65+ | 29% | 21% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 12% | 21% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 4.2% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 19% | 17% |
| Degree level | 44% | 27% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · County Durham and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Schools
The schools around Witton-le-Wear
At the 4 primary schools within 3 km, 54% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below. 114 pupils attend Witton-le-Wear’s one primary school.
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witton-le-Wear Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 114 | C+ |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Work & commute
Commuters in Witton-le-Wear travel far: only 4% go under 5 km, fewer than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 40% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
Unemployment benefit claims came to 1.8% of 16 to 64s in 2026, below both County Durham’s towns (3%) and England’s towns (2.3%). 87% of commuters drove to work at the census. Home was the main workplace for two in five workers at the census.
10%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving87%
On foot7%
Bus2%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
4%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
40%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£43K
mean household income, before tax
1.8%
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
Housing
More households own their home in Witton-le-Wear than in County Durham’s towns or across England’s towns: 83%
6% live in social housing, below both County Durham’s towns (20%) and England’s towns (18%). The private rented sector houses 11% of households. Private rents average £650 a month across the County Durham council area.
£275Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Witton-le-Wear£275K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £335,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £265,000 | 5 |
| Terraced | £173,000 | 8 |
83%
of households own their home · England 61%
11%
rent privately · England 21%
£650
average private rent a month, County Durham council area
£2,528
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
Violent crime runs low in Witton-le-Wear: 17.5 per 1,000 residents a year, under County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
Violence and sexual offences were 48% of the crimes. Property crime (burglary and damage) runs at 13.4 per 1,000 residents a year. Reported offences in Witton-le-Wear came to 25 over twelve months to August 2026; nuisance and anti-social incidents added 2. Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 7 reports per 1,000, below both County Durham’s towns (16.3) and England’s towns (7.8).
17.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a year
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual12
Public order3
Vehicle crime3
Damage & arson2
Burglary2
Other crime2
Other theft1
Shoplifting0
Anti-social2
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.
17.5
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
7
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
25
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
Just 4.6% of people in Witton-le-Wear say their health is bad or very bad, fewer than in both County Durham’s towns and England’s towns
Witton-le-Wear has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 3 miles away. At the census, a fifth of people here had a disability, below County Durham’s towns (22%) but above England’s towns (17%). Asked at the census, 81% of residents of Witton-le-Wear said they were in good or very good health. The nearest A&E to Witton-le-Wear is University Hospital North Durham, 10.6 miles away.
81%good or very good health
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 81%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Witton-le-Wear | County Durham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 81% | 77% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 22% | 17% |
82.3
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.3
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · These shares come straight from the census, without allowing for age, and young towns benefit; the Health Grade instead weighs age-adjusted measures, including life expectancy and early deaths.
History
More of the land in Witton-le-Wear is conservation area than in County Durham’s towns or England’s towns: 58%
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Grade II* covers 1 of them. Per 10,000 residents, Witton-le-Wear counts 193 listed buildings. This County Durham town has 11 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade II*.
11listed buildings
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*1
Grade II10
Among them · Grade II*
- Witton Tower Grade II*
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
52%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
193
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Witton-le-Wear
13pages on Witton-le-Wear
The big questions
Safety17.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingMedian home £275K · rent £650 a monthHousing10 sold in 12 monthsSchools1 state schoolHealthLife expectancy 82.3 (men), 85.3 (women)Work & commute53% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazards0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Witton-le-Wear’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Toft Hill and High EtherleyCrookWest AucklandEvenwoodBishop AucklandBilly RowWillingtonWitton-le-Wear
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Witton-le-Wear | 571 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Toft Hill and High Etherley | 1,865 | 2.2 | — | A− | B+ | C |
| Crook | 9,717 | 2.6 | C− | A | D | D |
| West Auckland | 3,107 | 3.9 | D | A− | D− | D |
| Evenwood | 1,587 | 3.9 | — | A− | D | C |
| Bishop Auckland | 23,359 | 4.2 | D | A− | D− | D |
| Billy Row | 1,254 | 4.2 | — | A | C+ | C− |
| Willington | 5,685 | 4.2 | D | A− | D− | D− |
Toft Hill and High Etherley, Evenwood 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 Witton-le-Wear
How many listed buildings are there in Witton-le-Wear?
That is 7.9 times the typical UK town for its size.
How much is council tax in Witton-le-Wear?
Band D council tax in Witton-le-Wear is £2,528 for 2026–27, more than in 71% 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 Witton-le-Wear
Village in County Durham, England
Witton-le-Wear is a built-up area of 571 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
- 571 (Census 2021)
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- County Durham
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000248
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.