Dudley’s story
1 listed building
Historic England lists them inside Dudley’s built-up area.
9% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
DudleyTyne and Wear
It is a town of 4,799 residents in Tyne and Wear, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Roger Cornfoot · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
4,799
Census 2021 · North Tyneside council
Median home
£133K
156 sales in 3 years
Median age
44.2
21% are 65+ · Tyne and Wear 19%
Degree level
20%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
20%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
C+
#18 of 34 in Tyne and Wear
Is Dudley a good place to live?
Dudley’s lowest grade is for health: men here can expect to live to 78, women to 81.2. It lags on jobs & income as well: households earn a mean £41,651 a year, and 4.2% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits. Homes are affordable: a typical home costs £133,000 and rent runs £857 a month. Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A−): a fifth of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport. The overall grade comes out at C+, #18 of 34 in Tyne and Wear. Nationally, it does better than 41% of UK towns.
Figures: prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · commuting, Census 2021 · life expectancy and income, ONS · claimants, DWP.
Northumbria Police published 34 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Dudley stand out
The 3 things Dudley does most differently from other towns.
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
52% 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%)
Tyne and Wear 30%.
Claimant rate, against UK towns
Work
of 16 to 64s in 2026: more than in 91% of UK towns
DWP claimant count, January to August 2026.
How Dudley grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Dudley is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
HealthGraded on how healthy residents areDOpen →Cost of livingMedian sale £133,000, 2.7 years of area incomeAOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedC−Open →Hazard risk2.1% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaC−Open →WalkabilityAbove the middle of the towns comparedA−Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentC−Open →SchoolsPrimary results beat 46% of towns in England; secondary results beat 58% of towns in EnglandB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History1 listed buildingD−Open →Outdoors69% live within 400 m of a park; 2.6 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsC+Open →Civic life0.6 local charities per 1,000 residents; 79% live within 1 km of a libraryCOpen →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Dudley.
Who lives here
Degrees are less common in Dudley than in Tyne and Wear’s towns or across England’s towns: 20% of adults
The 15-to-24 age group: 10%, lower than both Tyne and Wear’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (12%). Over-65s are 21% of the population. Ages in Dudley split evenly at 44.2: half are older, half younger. Children are 16% of the town.
44.2median age
DudleyTyne and WearEngland
Ages · share of residents
21%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications23%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar18%
Degree level20%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women.
| Dudley | Tyne and Wear | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 10% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 25% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 8.1% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 20% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Tyne and Wear and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
SchoolsB−
On exam results, Dudley’s schools beat 53% of towns in England
At the 14 primary schools within 3 km, 61% of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (three-year average). There is one school here; it is shown below. Secondary results at the 3 secondary schools within 3 km: an Attainment 8 score of 47.7, with 46% at grade 5 or above in English and maths.
B−School Grade
| School | Level | Pupils | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fordley Primary SchoolLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 377 | B− |
Department for Education · GIAS, Key Stage 2 and GCSE resultsThe Schools page →
History
Dudley’s one listed building is Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Before 1919: that is when nearly one in ten homes were built. Dudley has 2 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents.
1listed buildingsD−History Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II1
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
9%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
2
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
Only 75% of people in Dudley say their health is good or very good, fewer than in Tyne and Wear’s towns and England’s towns
A disability affects 23% of people in Dudley, and 8.9% of residents described their health as bad or very bad, higher than both Tyne and Wear’s towns (7.1%) and England’s towns (5.2%). Also worth knowing: this Tyne and Wear town has no GP practice of its own; the nearest is 1.6 miles away. Women here live to 81.2 on average and men to 78 (2019–23).
75%good or very good healthDHealth Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 75%Fair 17%Bad or very bad 9%
| Census 2021 | Dudley | Tyne and Wear | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 75% | 78% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.9% | 7.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 23% | 21% | 17% |
78
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
81.2
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · A young population flatters these answers, which are not age-adjusted; the Health Grade instead uses measures that allow for age, such as life expectancy and early deaths.
HousingCost of living grade A
More households in Dudley live in social housing than in Tyne and Wear’s towns or England’s towns: 34%
12% rent privately, below Tyne and Wear’s towns (17%) and England’s towns (21%) alike. The owner-occupied share of households is 53%. Half of the 156 standard sales inside Dudley’s built-up area from September 2023 to August 2026 went for more than £133,000.
£133Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Dudley£133K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £285,000 | 37 |
| Semi-detached | £140,000 | 37 |
| Terraced | £115,000 | 73 |
| Flat or maisonette | £100,000 | 9 |
53%
of households own their home · England 61%
12%
rent privately · England 21%
£857
average private rent a month, North Tyneside council area
£2,462
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Only 37% of Dudley’s commuters work within 5 km, fewer than in Tyne and Wear’s towns or England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 25% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
76% of commuters took the car to work at the census. The 2026 claimant rate among 16 to 64s was 4.2%. Dudley counts 0.3 jobs per working resident.
20%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving76%
Bus10%
On foot7%
Bicycle2%
Underground, tram1%
37%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
25%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£42K
mean household income, before tax
4.2%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
A−
Walkability: more walkable than 78% of UK towns
ONS Census 2021, method of travel and distance to work · ONS small-area income · DWP claimant count · OGL
Safety
Dudley records 11 burglaries and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year, against 17.2 in Tyne and Wear’s towns and 9.4 in England’s towns
Violent crime ran at 36.6 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Tyne and Wear’s towns (30.2) and England’s towns (22). The 12 months to August 2026 brought 299 recorded crimes inside Dudley’s built-up area, and 87 reports of anti-social behaviour. For its size, Dudley records more crime per resident than 79% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people. Of all the crimes, 49% were violence and sexual offences.
36.6violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC−Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 21% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: more crime than most for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual148
Public order35
Damage & arson29
Shoplifting19
Other crime19
Burglary16
Other theft15
Vehicle crime7
Anti-social87
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.
36.6
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
11
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
22.8
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
299
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.
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dudley
14pages on Dudley
The big questions
SafetyC−36.6 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingAMedian home £133K · rent £857 a monthHousing40 sold in 12 months · busiest street Glenwood CloseSchoolsB−1 state schoolHealthDLife expectancy 78 (men), 81.2 (women)Work & commuteC−43% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsC−2.1% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Dudley’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
Seaton BurnKillingworthSeghillWideopenCramlingtonBackworthLongbentonDudley
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley | 4,799 | — | C+ | A | C− | D |
| Seaton Burn | 1,354 | 1.4 | — | A | C− | C+ |
| Killingworth | 12,180 | 1.5 | B | A− | C | C |
| Seghill | 2,799 | 1.5 | C | A− | C− | D |
| Wideopen | 9,150 | 1.7 | B+ | C+ | B | C+ |
| Cramlington | 28,846 | 2 | B− | A− | C | C |
| Backworth | 4,483 | 2.7 | C+ | C+ | C− | C− |
| Longbenton | 26,882 | 2.7 | B | A− | C | C− |
Seaton Burn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Dudley
Is Dudley expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £133,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £100,000, terraced houses £115,000, semi-detached houses £140,000 and detached houses £285,000.
Does Dudley flood?
Surface water isn’t included. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s flood risk service.
About Dudley
Town in Tyne and Wear, England
Dudley is a built-up area of 4,799 people, in the North Tyneside 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
- 4,799 (Census 2021)
- Council
- North Tyneside
- County
- Tyne and Wear
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000058
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.