Belford’s story
43 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Belford’s built-up area.
34% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BelfordNorthumberland
The village, home to 1,314 people, lies in Northumberland, North East. Over-65s are 31% of the population.
2 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: DS Pugh · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,314
Census 2021 · Northumberland council
Median home
£244K
50 sales in 3 years
Median age
55
31% are 65+ · Northumberland 25%
Degree level
26%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
18%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Belford a good place to live?
Belford’s strongest subject is schools — primary results beat nearly three quarters of towns in England. It also does well on cost of living: homes sell for a median £243,500, about 5.2 times local household income. Jobs and pay trail most towns: mean household income £39,346; 1.9% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Hazards are a real consideration: 0.8% of homes face a high or medium risk of river or sea flooding. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for safety and B for health.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · income and life expectancy, ONS · claimants, DWP · flood risk, Environment Agency · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026. Belford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Northumbria Police published 34 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Belford stand out
The 3 things Belford does most differently from other towns.
Listed buildings per 10,000 residents
History
0 Grade II*; 13.4 times the typical UK town for its size
Historic England’s list, October 2026.
Residents 65 and over
Who lives here
31% are 65 or over
Against 18% across England’s towns
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£695 a month
ONS private rents, Northumberland council area.
How Belford grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Belford is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Belford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 74% of towns in EnglandA−Open →WalkabilityEasier than most to get around on footB+Open →Cost of livingRent £695 a monthB+Open →Hazard riskBelow the middle of the towns comparedC+Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentBOpen →HealthLife expectancy 82.4 for men, 85.4 for womenBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryUnusually rich in historyAOpen →Outdoors83% live within 400 m of a park; 21% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeC+Open →Civic life4.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryBOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Belford.
Who lives here
An older town: 31% of people in Belford are 65 or over, more than in Northumberland’s towns and across England’s towns
Graduates make up just over a quarter of adults. Children under 15 make up 13%, lower than both Northumberland’s towns (15%) and England’s towns (18%). Aged 15 to 24: 7.7% of residents. The middle age in Belford is 55.
55median age
BelfordNorthumberlandEngland
Ages · share of residents
31%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications20%
Apprenticeship9%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level26%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
About 94 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Belford | Northumberland | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 7.7% | 9.4% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 17% | 22% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 31% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.8% | 7.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 26% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Northumberland and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsA−
School results in Belford are better than in 78% of towns in England
Key Stage 2 results at the one primary school within 3 km: nearly two thirds of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). Its one school is below.
A−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belford Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 90 | B |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Belford is rich in listed buildings: 327 per 10,000 residents, more than in Northumberland’s towns and across England’s towns
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Homes built before 1919 account for 34% of the housing. None of the 43 listed buildings reaches Grade II* or Grade I; all are Grade II. Of Belford’s land, 40% lies in conservation areas, above Northumberland’s towns (2%) and England’s towns (7%) alike.
43listed buildingsAHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II43
0
scheduled monuments
1
registered park and garden
34%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
327
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Fewer commuters in Belford work nearby than in Northumberland’s towns or England’s towns: 30% travel under 5 km
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.
Jobs per working resident: 1. 18% of commuters walked, cycled or took the bus or train at the census, close to Northumberland’s towns (18%) and below England’s towns (27%). Home was the main workplace for 21% of workers at the census.
18%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving80%
On foot12%
Bicycle3%
Bus2%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
21%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£39K
mean household income, before tax
1.9%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B+
Walkability: more walkable than 70% 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+
More households in Belford live in social housing than in Northumberland’s towns or England’s towns: 25%
Three in five households own their home, lower than Northumberland’s towns (65%) and near England’s towns (61%). Private tenants account for 15% of households. Behind the median of £243,500: 50 standard sales inside Belford’s built-up area, September 2023 to August 2026.
£244Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Belford£244K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £335,000 | 20 |
| Semi-detached | £200,000 | 13 |
| Terraced | £186,750 | 16 |
60%
of households own their home · England 61%
15%
rent privately · England 21%
£695
average private rent a month, Northumberland council area
£2,514
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
Belford records less violent crime per resident than Northumberland’s towns or England’s towns, at 17.5 per 1,000 a year
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 5.9 reports per 1,000, below Northumberland’s towns (16.9) and England’s towns (7.8) alike. Police recorded 48 crimes inside Belford’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 3 reports of anti-social behaviour. 38% of the crimes fell under violence and sexual offences.
17.5violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 43% of the 1,541 UK towns of 1,000 to 2,500 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual18
Damage & arson8
Public order6
Shoplifting4
Other crime4
Burglary3
Other theft2
Vehicle crime1
Anti-social3
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
9.4
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.9
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
48
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
Belford is 37.5 miles from the nearest A&E
Women here live to 85.4 on average and men to 82.4 (2019–23). One GP practice serves the town; 92% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. 6.6% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, about level with Northumberland’s towns (6.5%) and above England’s towns (5.2%).
78%good or very good healthBHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 78%Fair 15%Bad or very bad 7%
| Census 2021 | Belford | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 78% | 78% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 6.6% | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 21% | 22% | 17% |
82.4
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
85.4
life expectancy at birth, women
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.
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Belford Museum and 2 more in and around Belford
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Belford. Best known first.
MuseumBelford Museumin town
Historic houseMiddleton Hall1.6 km outside town, to the northwestHistoric siteHistoric site · National TrustSt Cuthberts Cave4.7 km outside town, to the westPlaces: © OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Belford Museum: Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Middleton Hall: Zjdalton, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Belford
15pages on Belford
The big questions
SafetyB17.5 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB+Median home £244K · rent £695 a monthHousing18 sold in 12 months · busiest street Dunmoor RoadSchoolsA−1 state schoolHealthBLife expectancy 82.4 (men), 85.4 (women)Work & commuteC−57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC+0.8% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Famous people from Belford
3 notable people were born in Belford.
M
Michael ClarkCanadian politician · 1861–1926A
Arthur Cuthbertson(1901-1979)Photo credits
William Coldstream: Elliott & Fry, Public domain
Belford’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Seahouses and North SunderlandWoolerBelford
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belford | 1,314 | — | — | B+ | B | B |
| Seahouses and North Sunderland | 1,678 | 6.9 | — | B | A | B |
| Wooler | 1,930 | 7.9 | — | A− | B− | B |
Seahouses and North Sunderland and Wooler have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Belford
How many listed buildings are there in Belford?
That is 13.4 times the typical UK town for its size.
Are schools in Belford good?
Primary results beat 74% of towns in England (Department for Education, Key Stage 2). One state school is inside the town; places are handled by Northumberland council.
About Belford
Village in Northumberland, England
Belford is a built-up area of 1,314 people, in the Northumberland 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
- 1,314 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Northumberland
- County
- Northumberland
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000008
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.