Distington’s story
4 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Distington’s built-up area.
16% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DistingtonCumbria
1,375 people call this village in Cumbria, North West home. 27% of residents are 65 or over.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Alexander P Kapp · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,375
Census 2021 · Copeland council
Median home
£108K
43 sales in 3 years
Median age
48.1
27% are 65+ · Cumbria 23%
Degree level
16%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
19%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Distington a good place to live?
Where it does best is walkability (A−): nearly a fifth of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Health is a weak point (D): life expectancy 77 for men, 79.6 for women. It takes 2.4 years of household income in the Copeland council area to buy the median home, at £107,500. Jobs and pay trail most towns (D): the mean household earns £44,439 a year.
Figures: commuting, Census 2021 · life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years. Distington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
ONS publishes one rent for all of Cumberland, so this town's Cost Grade uses house prices and council tax only.
What makes Distington stand out
The 3 things Distington does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
61% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Degree level, 16+
Education
Degree-level qualifications, residents 16+ (England’s towns 34%)
Cumbria 28%.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
27% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
How Distington grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Distington is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedDOpen →Jobs & income2.8% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsDOpen →WalkabilityAbove the middle of the towns comparedA−Open →Hazard risk1.4% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 32% of towns in EnglandCOpen →SafetyGraded on crime per residentC+Open →Cost of livingRent £681 a monthBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryLess recorded history than most townsCOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 4.2 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsA−Open →Civic life3.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryB−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Distington.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Distington than in Cumbria’s towns or across England’s towns: 16% of adults
People 65 and over make up 27% of the town, above both Cumbria’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (18%). Those aged 15 to 24 account for nearly one in ten residents. Distington has a median age of 48.1 years.
48.1median age
DistingtonCumbriaEngland
Ages · share of residents
27%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications30%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar15%
Degree level16%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Distington | Cumbria | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.7% | 9.9% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 22% | 23% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 27% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 27% | 23% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 30% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.7% | 8% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 16% | 28% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Cumbria and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsC
On exam results, Distington’s schools trail 71% of towns in England
Key Stage 2 results at the 4 primary schools within 3 km: 58% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). The town has one school, shown below. 114 pupils attend Distington’s one primary school.
CSchool Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distington Community SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 114 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
Health
Fewer people in Distington say their health is good than in Cumbria’s towns or across England’s towns: 70%
Men in Distington can expect to live to 77, women to 79.6 (2019–23). The town’s share in bad or very bad health, 10%, is the highest of the 54 towns in Cumbria, and on top of that 29% of residents in Distington live with a disability. One GP practice serves the town; 87% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
70%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 70%Fair 20%Bad or very bad 10%
| Census 2021 | Distington | Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 70% | 79% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 10% | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 29% | 20% | 17% |
77
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
79.6
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Fewer commuters in Distington work nearby than in Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns: 33% travel under 5 km
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 14% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
At the census, 19% went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport, below Cumbria’s towns (23%) and England’s towns (27%) alike. Home was the main workplace for 14% of workers at the census. 4% of commuters who live in Distington also work there. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 2.8%.
19%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving77%
Bus9%
On foot8%
Train1%
Bicycle1%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
14%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£44K
mean household income, before tax
2.8%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A−
Walkability: more walkable than 76% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
History
Distington’s listed buildings: 4, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes from before 1919 make up 16% of the total, lower than Cumbria’s towns (28%) and near England’s towns (16%). Distington has 29 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents.
4listed buildingsCHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II4
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
16%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
29
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Safety
Distington records more violent crime per resident than Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns, at 30.6 per 1,000 a year
Violence and sexual offences were 54% of the crimes. The 12 months to August 2026 brought 46 recorded crimes inside Distington’s built-up area, and 1 reports of anti-social behaviour. Among the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people, Distington has more crime per resident than four fifths of them.
30.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 20% 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 & sexual25
Other crime5
Public order4
Other theft4
Damage & arson3
Burglary3
Shoplifting1
Drugs1
Anti-social1
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.
30.6
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
3.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
46
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.
HousingCost of living grade B
More households in Distington live in social housing than in Cumbria’s towns or England’s towns: 41%
9% rent privately, below both Cumbria’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (21%). Home ownership stands at 50% of households. Behind the median of £107,500: 43 standard sales inside Distington’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£108Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Distington£108K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £238,000 | 9 |
| Semi-detached | £125,000 | 11 |
| Terraced | £85,000 | 23 |
50%
of households own their home · England 61%
9%
rent privately · England 21%
£681
average private rent a month, Cumberland 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Distington
14pages on Distington
The big questions
SafetyC+30.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingBMedian home £108K · rent £681 a monthHousing11 sold in 12 months · busiest street Main StreetSchoolsC1 state schoolHealthDLife expectancy 77 (men), 79.6 (women)Work & commuteD33% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC1.4% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Distington’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
High HarringtonMoresby ParksWorkingtonStainburnWhitehavenFrizingtonSeatonDistington
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distington | 1,375 | — | — | B | C+ | D |
| High Harrington | 1,574 | 1.3 | — | D− | A+ | C+ |
| Moresby Parks | 1,180 | 2.5 | — | B | A+ | C− |
| Workington | 21,276 | 2.5 | D− | B− | D− | D |
| Stainburn | 2,120 | 3.4 | — | D− | A | C+ |
| Whitehaven | 22,952 | 4.2 | D | B− | D | D |
| Frizington | 1,754 | 4.2 | — | B+ | D− | D |
| Seaton | 5,051 | 4.5 | C− | C− | A− | C |
High Harrington, Moresby Parks, Stainburn and Frizington have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Distington
Is Distington expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £107,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £85,000, semi-detached houses £125,000 and detached houses £238,000.
Does Distington flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Distington
Village in Cumbria, England
Distington is a built-up area of 1,375 people, in the Copeland 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
- 1,375 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Copeland
- County
- Cumbria
- Region
- North West
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000292
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.