Bellingham’s story
18 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I
Historic England lists them inside Bellingham’s built-up area.
49% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
BellinghamNorthumberland
The village has 1,031 residents and lies in Northumberland, North East.
2 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Les Hull · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,031
Census 2021 · Northumberland council
Median home
£198K
32 sales in 3 years
Median age
52
30% are 65+ · Northumberland 25%
Degree level
25%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
22%
of commuters · England 27%
Is Bellingham a good place to live?
Homes are affordable: a typical home costs £197,500 and rent runs £695 a month. It also does well on walkability (A−): 22% of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. Schools lag: primary results beat 2% of towns in England. Jobs & income is weaker too: mean household income £44,258; 2.1% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · income, ONS · claimants, DWP. Bellingham is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
Northumbria Police published 34 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Bellingham stand out
The 3 things Bellingham 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.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results trail 98%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Department for Education.
Rent against income, UK towns
Renting
£695 a month
Average private rent, 18% of what households in the area earn: less than in 96% of UK towns
ONS private rents, Northumberland council area.
How Bellingham grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Bellingham is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Bellingham is graded on each subject, but towns under 2,500 get no overall grade.
SchoolsPrimary results beat 2% of towns in EnglandD−Open →WalkabilityAmong the easiest places to get around without a carA−Open →Cost of livingMedian sale £197,500, 4.2 years of area incomeA−Open →Jobs & incomeWeaker than most of the towns comparedC−Open →Hazard risk1.3% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaCOpen →HealthLife expectancy 82.6 for men, 86.2 for womenB+Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
HistoryUnusually rich in historyAOpen →Outdoors100% live within 400 m of a park; 57% of land within 5 km is National Park or National LandscapeAOpen →Civic life5.8 local charities per 1,000 residents; 100% live within 1 km of a libraryA+Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bellingham.
SchoolsD−
Results at Bellingham’s schools are among the lowest in England
Some 110 pupils attend Bellingham’s one primary and one secondary. Its two schools are below. Key Stage 2 results at the one primary school within 3 km: 43% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average).
D−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 64 | – |
| Bellingham Middle School and Sports CollegeLargest secondary schoolSecondary | Secondary | 46 | D |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsSee all 2 schools →
History
Old homes shape Bellingham: 49% were built before 1919, 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.
Listed buildings per head: 175 for every 10,000 residents of Bellingham. Its listed buildings include the Church of St Cuthbert, Grade I. It has 18 listed buildings on Historic England’s list: 1 Grade I.
18listed buildingsAHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I1
Grade II*0
Grade II17
Among them · Grade I
- Church of St Cuthbert Grade I
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
49%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
175
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−
Under 5 km to work: 30% in Bellingham, fewer than in Northumberland’s towns and across England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 23% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
The car took 76% of commuters, between Northumberland’s towns (79%) and England’s towns (70%). For every resident in work, Bellingham has 0.8 jobs. Nearly a quarter of commuters who live in Bellingham also work there.
22%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving76%
On foot19%
Bus2%
Bicycle1%
Underground, tram1%
30%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
23%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£44K
mean household income, before tax
2.1%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A−
Walkability: more walkable than 83% 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 A−
Few households rent privately in Bellingham: 13%, fewer than in Northumberland’s towns and across England’s towns
Social housing holds 25% of households, higher than both Northumberland’s towns (19%) and England’s towns (18%). Half of the 32 standard sales inside Bellingham’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £197,500. Three in five households own their home.
£198Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Bellingham£198K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £395,000 | 11 |
| Semi-detached | £193,500 | 6 |
| Terraced | £140,000 | 14 |
60%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£695
average private rent a month, Northumberland council area
£2,588
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Health
Life expectancy in Bellingham is longer than in 88% of UK towns
Asked at the census, just over three quarters of residents of Bellingham said they were in good or very good health. The nearest A&E to Bellingham is Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, 27.5 miles away. At the census, 20% of people here had a disability, below Northumberland’s towns (22%) but above England’s towns (17%). One GP practice serves the town; 90% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey.
76%good or very good healthB+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 76%Fair 18%Bad or very bad 6%
| Census 2021 | Bellingham | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 78% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.6% | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 20% | 22% | 17% |
82.6
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
86.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · Read these answers with age in mind: they aren’t adjusted, so younger places do better. The Health Grade uses age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
Safety
Burglary and damage are rarer in Bellingham than in Northumberland’s towns or across England’s towns: 5.5 per 1,000 residents a year
Anti-social behaviour, shown but not graded, came to 6.5 reports per 1,000, below both Northumberland’s towns (16.9) and England’s towns (7.8). Police recorded 19 crimes inside Bellingham’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026, plus 5 reports of anti-social behaviour. Of all the crimes, 42% were violence and sexual offences.
21.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearBSafety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 42% 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 & sexual8
Other theft2
Vehicle crime2
Shoplifting1
Damage & arson1
Public order1
Burglary1
Drugs1
Anti-social5
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.
21.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
5.5
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
6.5
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
19
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.
Who lives here
Bellingham skews older, with 30% of residents 65 or over, more than in Northumberland’s towns and across England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 are 8.9% of residents, below both Northumberland’s towns (9.4%) and England’s towns (12%). Half the people of Bellingham are older than 52. Degrees are held by a quarter of adults.
52median age
BellinghamNorthumberlandEngland
Ages · share of residents
30%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications21%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level25%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Bellingham | Northumberland | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 8.9% | 9.4% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 18% | 22% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 29% | 28% | 25% |
| 65+ | 30% | 25% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.3% | 7.1% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 25% | 29% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Northumberland and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bellingham
14pages on Bellingham
The big questions
SafetyB21.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingA−Median home £198K · rent £695 a monthHousing12 sold in 12 months · busiest street WestlandsSchoolsD−2 state schoolsHealthB+Life expectancy 82.6 (men), 86.2 (women)Work & commuteC−57% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC1.3% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Bellingham’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Haydon BridgeAcombBellingham
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham | 1,031 | — | — | A− | B | B+ |
| Haydon Bridge | 1,229 | 12 | — | A− | A− | B |
| Acomb | 1,155 | 12 | — | B+ | A− | B− |
Haydon Bridge and Acomb have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Bellingham
Are schools in Bellingham good?
Bellingham has 2 state schools; places are handled by Northumberland council.
How many listed buildings are there in Bellingham?
That is 7.2 times the typical UK town for its size. Its Grade I building is Church of St Cuthbert.
Does Bellingham flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
Is Bellingham expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £197,500, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: terraced houses £140,000, semi-detached houses £193,500 and detached houses £395,000.
About Bellingham
Village in Northumberland, England
Bellingham is a built-up area of 1,031 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
- 1,031 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Northumberland
- County
- Northumberland
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000047
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.