Benfieldside
vs Derwent & Pont Valley
Benfieldside has the younger population: 15% of residents are aged 15–29, against 14% in Derwent & Pont Valley. Homes in Benfieldside sold for a median of £170,000, 17% above Derwent & Pont Valley. Derwent & Pont Valley has more green space nearby (52% within 500 m, against 24%).
People
Benfieldside has 10,359 residents in 4,696 households; Derwent & Pont Valley has 16,558 in 7,639. Derwent & Pont Valley has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 24%, 2 percentage points more than Benfieldside (County Durham: 21%). Derwent & Pont Valley has the higher share of people living alone: 33%, 1.4 percentage points more than Benfieldside (County Durham: 34%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is semi-detached houses in Benfieldside (39%) and terraced houses in Derwent & Pont Valley (42%). The share of owner-occupied homes is about the same in both (70% and 70%). Benfieldside has the higher share of private renting: 15%, 1.4 percentage points more than Derwent & Pont Valley (County Durham: 17%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £170,000 in Benfieldside and £145,500 in Derwent & Pont Valley, against £145,000 across County Durham.
Surroundings
Derwent & Pont Valley has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 52%, 27.8 percentage points more than Benfieldside (County Durham: 21%). A typical postcode has 38 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Benfieldside, and 18 in Derwent & Pont Valley. The typical postcode is 417 m from the nearest school in Benfieldside and 551 m in Derwent & Pont Valley. The typical postcode is 10,144 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Benfieldside and 5,984 m in Derwent & Pont Valley. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 66% of premises in Benfieldside and 38% in Derwent & Pont Valley.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 57 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Benfieldside and 65 in Derwent & Pont Valley, against 124 across County Durham. Police.uk records crimes by approximate location, not by where victims or offenders live. Busy streets, shops, stations and nightlife record more. Figures are counts, not a measure of personal risk.
Sources: Census 2021 (ONS) · HM Land Registry Price Paid Data · official school registers · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Environment Agency · data.police.uk, 12 months to Aug 2026 · Ofcom Connected Nations
In brief.
Each ward in a few lines, from its own page.
Benfieldside is one of 51 wards in County Durham, home to 10,359 people in 4,696 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £170,000 over the past two years, 17% above the County Durham median. On average 24% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 17% above the County Durham average.
Derwent & Pont Valley is one of 51 wards in County Durham, home to 16,558 people in 7,639 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £145,500 over the past two years, in line with the County Durham median. On average 52% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 152% above the County Durham average.
More comparisons.
Benfieldside and Derwent & Pont Valley next to other wards of County Durham.