Cost of living in County Durham
Data last updated: 14 May 2026
Page last reviewed: 14 May 2026
Rent in County Durham
The average monthly rent in County Durham is £632.
- 1 Bed£444 /mo
- 2 Bed£563 /mo
- 3 Bed£673 /mo
- 4+ Bed£976 /mo
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR)
Earnings in County Durham
The average annual salary for residents of County Durham is £29,718.
We use the median (middle value) as the average throughout this site. This is more representative than the mean, which can be skewed by extremely high or low values.
Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)
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Average house prices in County Durham
The average house price in County Durham was £143,000.
- Detached£262,000
- Semi-detached£149,950
- Terraced£96,000
- Flat£88,000
How house prices have changed in County Durham
Average house prices over time, based on quarterly rolling-year medians from Land Registry data.
Source: ONS / HM Land Registry. Historical trend based on quarterly rolling-year median prices.
Climate and weather in County Durham
Summer daytime highs in County Durham typically reach 18.8°C in July, dropping to around 5.5°C in January. County Durham is drier than average for the UK, with rain falling on about 2.8 days a week. It gets around 17% less rainfall than the UK average. The area gets a typical amount of sunshine for the UK, averaging around 5.6 hours per day in summer. Expect frost on around 120 days per year, mostly between October and May.
| Month | Daytime high | Rainfall | Rain days | Sunshine | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.5°C | 90mm | 14 | 56h | 20 |
| Feb | 6.1°C | 78mm | 12 | 78h | 18 |
| Mar | 8.1°C | 67mm | 11 | 118h | 17 |
| Apr | 10.9°C | 63mm | 11 | 154h | 13 |
| May | 14.0°C | 58mm | 10 | 194h | 7 |
| Jun | 16.6°C | 74mm | 11 | 169h | 2 |
| Jul | 18.8°C | 74mm | 11 | 180h | 1 |
| Aug | 18.3°C | 83mm | 12 | 166h | 1 |
| Sep | 15.8°C | 76mm | 11 | 134h | 3 |
| Oct | 12.1°C | 91mm | 14 | 96h | 8 |
| Nov | 8.3°C | 99mm | 14 | 64h | 13 |
| Dec | 5.9°C | 101mm | 15 | 50h | 19 |
How this is calculated
Climate data is based on Met Office 30-year averages (1991-2020), calculated from 92 observation grid points covering the County Durham local authority area.
Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid , 1991-2020 averages. Crown copyright. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Council tax in County Durham
Band D council tax in County Durham is £2,622 per year.
- Band A£1,748
- Band B£2,039
- Band C£2,331
- Band DBenchmark£2,622
- Band E£3,205
- Band F£3,788
- Band G£4,370
- Band H£5,244
Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government
Energy costs in County Durham
A typical household in County Durham pays approximately £1,641/year (£137/month) for gas and electricity.
Energy region: North East
This estimate is based on the Ofgem price cap for a typical dual-fuel household using 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year, paying by Direct Debit. Your actual costs will depend on your usage, tariff, and whether you're on a fixed deal.
Source: Ofgem Energy Price Cap, Q2 2026
Water costs in County Durham
The average annual water and sewerage bill for Northumbrian Water customers is £597/year (£50/month).
Water company: Northumbrian Water
Water bills vary based on whether you have a meter and your household's water usage. This figure is the company average for unmetered customers.
Source: Water UK / Discover Water, 2026-27
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Crime in County Durham
There were 894 recorded crimes per 10,000 people in County Durham, which is above the national average of 813.2. County Durham ranks #219 out of 303 areas for lowest crime rate.
Recorded crime statistics reflect crimes reported to and recorded by police. They may not capture the full picture of crime in an area, and recording practices vary between forces.
Source: Home Office police recorded crime, Year ending December 2025
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Nearby areas
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Frequently asked questions about County Durham
Data on this page is sourced from: ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), Scottish Government Private Sector Rent Statistics, ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS / HM Land Registry House Price Statistics, MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government council tax data, Ofgem Energy Price Cap, and Water UK / Discover Water. All official data is published under the Open Government Licence.