Postcode area · Darlington

DL area guide

Who lives in DL, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Council: County Durham
Region: North East
Population: 400,428 (2024)

DLPostcode area · Darlington

At a glance

What DL is like

The DL postcode area in North East covers 13,509 live postcodes and is home to about 400,428 people in 175,523 households. 63.6% of households own their home, 19% rent privately and 17% are in social housing. The largest age group is 55–59, and 53.6% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is broadly in line with the England and Wales average. Homes in DL sold for a median of £175,000 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How DL compares

Headline figures for DL, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

4.6/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

7/ 10

Around the middle: 33.1 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£175,000

Median over 4,292 sales in DL, −2.8% on the year before.

TransportMore

0.3/ 10

Poor: 0 stations within a mile, 2 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

94%

Rated good or better across 200 inspected schools in DL.

Household incomeMore

£44,900

Average annual income before tax, higher than 26% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where DL differs most from the national average.

01
An older population
22.9% of residents are 65 or over, against 18.4% across England.
02
Well-rated schoolsPositive
94% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better.

Questions

DL FAQs

Is DL a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 4.6 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 33.1 per 1,000 people a year, band 7 of 10 nationally. 94% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 0.3 out of 10 (poor).

How much does a house cost in DL?

The median sale price over the last year was £175,000.

Homes in DL sold for a median of £175,000 across 4,292 sales in the year to August 2026, −2.8% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is DL safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 33.1 offences per 1,000 people a year around DL, broadly in line with the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 7 of 10.

Who lives in DL?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 55–59, at 7.8% of residents. 63.6% of households own their home. The most common property type is semi-detached (34.6%).

Which council covers DL?

The local authority for DL is County Durham.

DL comes under County Durham in the North East. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is DL?

Connectivity scores 0.3 out of 10.

There are 2 bus stops within 800m and 0 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 0.3 out of 10 (poor).

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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