Sunniside’s story
2 listed buildings
Historic England lists them inside Sunniside’s built-up area.
16% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town.
Explore the history →
SunnisideTyne and Wear
A town of 3,422 in Tyne and Wear, North East.
7 places within 12 milesMap →
Photo: Robert Graham · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
3,422
Census 2021 · Gateshead council
Median home
£170K
166 sales in 3 years
Median age
45.1
24% are 65+ · Tyne and Wear 19%
Degree level
31%
of residents 16+ · England 34%
Walk, cycle, bus
15%
of commuters · England 27%
TownGrade
B
#9 of 34 in Tyne and Wear
Is Sunniside a good place to live?
With a B overall, Sunniside is better than 64% of UK towns. Its place in the ranking is #9 of 34 in Tyne and Wear. Schools are where it shines — primary results beat 89% of towns in England; secondary results beat 68% of towns in England. Health is a weak point: life expectancy 80.1 for men, 84.4 for women. Homes sell for a median £170,000, about 3.9 years of what households in the Gateshead council area earn. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for safety, B− for jobs & income and B− for walkability.
Figures: life expectancy and incomes, ONS · prices, HM Land Registry, the last three years · crime, police.uk, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026 · claimants, DWP · commuting, Census 2021.
Northumbria Police published 34 of the 36 months; rates are per year over the months published.
What makes Sunniside stand out
The 3 things Sunniside does most differently from other towns.
Walk, cycle or public transport
Getting around
15% leave the car
of commuters walk, cycle or take public transport (England’s towns 27%)
Median sale, £ thousands
Housing
39% below the typical UK town’s £277K
Standard sales, September 2023 to August 2026.
Primary results, towns in England
Schools
Primary results beat 89%
of towns in England, on Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths
Secondary results beat 68%. Department for Education.
How Sunniside grades
Each subject compared with the 2,160 UK towns with an overall grade (schools within England), ordered by how far Sunniside is from typical. American towns are graded separately.
Hazard risk0% of homes at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers or the seaAOpen →SchoolsPrimary results beat 89% of towns in England; secondary results beat 68% of towns in EnglandA−Open →HealthWeaker than most of the towns comparedC+Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentC+Open →Jobs & income2.5% of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefitsB−Open →Cost of livingClose to the middle of the towns comparedB−Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
History2 listed buildingsDOpen →Outdoors87% live within 400 m of a park; 2.1 ha of public green space per 1,000 residentsBOpen →Civic life0.3 local charities per 1,000 residents; 0% live within 1 km of a libraryD−Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sunniside.
History
Sunniside’s listed buildings: 2, all Grade II
The heritage lists give each building’s grade but not its age, so we don’t say which is oldest.
Sunniside has 6 listed buildings for every 10,000 residents. 16% of its homes were built before 1919.
2listed buildingsDHistory Grade
Listed buildings by grade · Historic England
Grade I0
Grade II*0
Grade II2
0
scheduled monuments
0
registered parks and gardens
16%
of homes built before 1919 · typical UK town 15%
6
listed buildings per 10,000 residents · typical UK town 24
Historic England list, October 2026 · Valuation Office Agency, homes by build period · OGL
Health
In Sunniside, 5.1% say their health is bad or very bad, against 7.1% in Tyne and Wear’s towns and 5.2% in England’s towns
Just over four fifths of Sunniside’s residents described their health as good or very good at the census, about level with England’s towns (82%) and above Tyne and Wear’s towns (78%). One GP practice serves the town; 97% of patients rate theirs good in the GP Patient Survey. A disability affects 18% of people here.
82%good or very good healthC+Health Grade
General health, self-reported
Good or very good 82%Fair 13%Bad or very bad 5%
| Census 2021 | Sunniside | Tyne and Wear | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 82% | 78% | 82% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.1% | 7.1% | 5.2% |
| Disabled (Equality Act) | 18% | 21% | 17% |
80.1
life expectancy at birth, men (2019–23)
84.4
life expectancy at birth, women
ONS Census 2021, general health and disability · OHID Fingertips, life expectancy 2019–23 · OGL · The census answers take no account of age, so a young town looks healthier; the Health Grade relies on age-adjusted measures, life expectancy and early deaths among them.
Safety
Burglary and damage in Sunniside run at 13.2 per 1,000 a year, against 17.2 in Tyne and Wear’s towns and 9.4 in England’s towns
Violence and sexual offences were 31% of the crimes. 179 crimes and 37 reports of anti-social behaviour: that is what police recorded inside Sunniside’s built-up area in the 12 months to August 2026. Per 1,000 residents, 22.7 violent crimes are recorded each year. There were 23.1 anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 residents (not graded), above Tyne and Wear’s towns (18) and England’s towns (7.8) alike.
22.7violent and sexual offences per 1,000 a yearC+Safety Grade
Compared with UK towns its sizeLess crime per resident than 43% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people: about the middle for its size. Context only, not part of the grade.
Reports by type · Sep 2025 to Aug 2026
Violence & sexual56
Shoplifting24
Damage & arson22
Burglary19
Other crime16
Vehicle crime14
Other theft10
Public order9
Anti-social37
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.
22.7
violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
13.2
burglary, vehicle crime and damage per 1,000 a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
23.1
anti-social behaviour reports per 1,000 (not graded)
179
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.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Only 15% of commuters in Sunniside go to work without a car, fewer than in both Tyne and Wear’s towns and England’s towns
The Census was taken on 21 March 2021, in lockdown, so 31% of workers were mainly at home; shares here are of those who travelled.
For 33% of commuters, work was under 5 km away. 82% of commuters drove, above Tyne and Wear’s towns (70%) and England’s towns (70%) alike. The average household earns £48K a year before tax. About 2% of its commuters stay in Sunniside for work.
15%walk, cycle or ride
How commuters got to work · March 2021
Driving82%
Bus8%
On foot5%
Bicycle1%
33%
of commuters travel under 5 km · England 45%
31%
worked mainly from home in March 2021
£48K
mean household income, before tax
2.5%
of 16 to 64s claim unemployment benefits (2026)
B−
Walkability: more walkable than 54% 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 own their home in Sunniside than in Tyne and Wear’s towns or across England’s towns: 74%
Social housing holds 13% of households. The £170,000 median rests on 166 standard sales inside the built-up area (September 2023 to August 2026). Private rents average £804 a month across the Gateshead council area.
£170Kmedian sale
Median sale price · Sep 2023 to Aug 2026
Sunniside£170K
Typical UK town£277K
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £382,500 | 45 |
| Semi-detached | £184,500 | 47 |
| Terraced | £151,775 | 64 |
| Flat or maisonette | £89,000 | 10 |
74%
of households own their home · England 61%
13%
rent privately · England 21%
£804
average private rent a month, Gateshead council area
£2,716
council tax, Band D, 2026–27
HM Land Registry Price Paid · ONS private rents · MHCLG / Welsh Government council tax · ONS Census 2021 tenure · OGL
Who lives here
An older town: 24% of people in Sunniside are 65 or over, more than in both Tyne and Wear’s towns and England’s towns
Young adults of 15 to 24 are nearly one in ten residents, below Tyne and Wear’s towns (13%) and England’s towns (12%) alike. Ages in Sunniside split evenly at 45.1: half are older, half younger. Degrees are held by 31% of adults.
45.1median age
SunnisideTyne and WearEngland
Ages · share of residents
24%
Qualifications · residents 16 and older
No qualifications16%
Apprenticeship8%
A levels or similar19%
Degree level31%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 91 men for every 100 women. Across England, 51% of residents are women. Women live longer than men, so towns with many older residents have more women.
| Sunniside | Tyne and Wear | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 13% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 24% | 26% | 27% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| 65+ | 24% | 19% | 18% |
| No qualifications | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| Apprenticeship | 7.7% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| A levels or similar | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Degree level | 31% | 30% | 34% |
ONS Census 2021 · Tyne and Wear and England: all residents of their built-up areas · OGL
Nearby attractions
All attractions →Beamish Museum and 8 more in and around Sunniside
Museums, castles, gardens and days out in and near Sunniside. Best known first.
MuseumBeamish Museum3.9 km outside town, to the south · 350K visitors a year
MuseumCentre for Life5 km outside town, to the northeast · 225K visitors a year
CastleRavensworth Castle1.6 km outside town, to the east
Heritage railwayTanfield Railway1.3 km outside town, to the south
Art galleryShipley Art Gallery4.6 km outside town, to the northeast
Historic house · National TrustGibside2.5 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 (6)
- Beamish Museum: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Centre for Life: Simon Cobb, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ravensworth Castle: john tollitt, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tanfield Railway: Stephen Daglish, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Shipley Art Gallery: Dposte46, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Gibside: John Darch, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sunniside
14pages on Sunniside
The big questions
SafetyC+22.7 violent and sexual offences per 1,000 residents a year, averaged Sep 2023 to Aug 2026Cost of livingB−Median home £170K · rent £804 a monthHousing50 sold in 12 months · busiest street KingswaySchoolsA−HealthC+Life expectancy 80.1 (men), 84.4 (women)Work & commuteB−46% of working residents work in the townFlood & hazardsA0% of homes at high or medium flood risk
Out and about
Sunniside’s neighbours
The nearest built-up areas, from ONS’s 2022 boundaries. See them on the map →
WhickhamBurnopfieldBlaydonKibblesworthRowlands GillTanfield LeaUrpethSunniside
How the neighbours grade
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunniside | 3,422 | — | B | B− | C+ | C+ |
| Whickham | 15,680 | 1.2 | B | C | B | B− |
| Burnopfield | 2,998 | 2.7 | A− | A− | B+ | C− |
| Blaydon | 14,237 | 2.7 | C− | B− | D | D |
| Kibblesworth | 1,500 | 2.8 | — | B− | B− | D |
| Rowlands Gill | 5,254 | 2.9 | C | C+ | B− | C+ |
| Tanfield Lea | 2,399 | 3.4 | — | A− | B− | D |
| Urpeth | 2,048 | 3.8 | — | A− | A | B |
Kibblesworth, Tanfield Lea and Urpeth have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. People: Census 2021. Miles: centre to centre.
Questions about Sunniside
How much is council tax in Sunniside?
Band D council tax in Sunniside is £2,716 for 2026–27, more than in 96% of UK towns (council, county, police and fire). Your own bill depends on your home’s band; check it on GOV.UK.
Are schools in Sunniside good?
Secondary results beat 68%. Places are handled by Gateshead council.
Is Sunniside expensive to live in?
Homes cost less than in most UK towns: the median sale over three years was £170,000, against £277,000 in the typical UK town. By type: flats £89,000, terraced houses £151,775, semi-detached houses £184,500 and detached houses £382,500.
Is Sunniside safe?
About the middle for its size: 57% of the 1,308 UK towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people report less crime per resident. Against all UK towns, it grades C+.
About Sunniside
Town in Tyne and Wear, England
Sunniside is a built-up area of 3,422 people, in the Gateshead 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
- 3,422 (Census 2021)
- Council
- Gateshead
- County
- Tyne and Wear
- Region
- North East
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²)
- ONS code
- E63000117
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.