Benfieldside
vs Weardale
Benfieldside has the younger population: 15% of residents are aged 15–29, against 12% in Weardale. Homes in Weardale sold for a median of £179,500, 6% above Benfieldside. Benfieldside has more green space nearby (24% within 500 m, against 19%).
People
Benfieldside has 10,359 residents in 4,696 households; Weardale has 9,523 in 4,474. Weardale has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 28%, 6.8 percentage points more than Benfieldside (County Durham: 21%). Weardale has the higher share of people living alone: 33%, 1.1 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 Weardale (37%). Benfieldside has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 70%, 1 percentage point more than Weardale (County Durham: 63%). Weardale has the higher share of private renting: 17%, 1.8 percentage points more than Benfieldside (County Durham: 17%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £170,000 in Benfieldside and £179,500 in Weardale, against £145,000 across County Durham.
Surroundings
Benfieldside has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 24%, 5.1 percentage points more than Weardale (County Durham: 21%). A typical postcode has 38 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Benfieldside, and 6 in Weardale. The typical postcode is 417 m from the nearest school in Benfieldside and 951 m in Weardale. The typical postcode is 10,144 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Benfieldside and 4,734 m in Weardale. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 66% of premises in Benfieldside and 9% in Weardale.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 57 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Benfieldside and 81 in Weardale, 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.
Weardale is one of 51 wards in County Durham, home to 9,523 people in 4,474 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £179,500 over the past two years, 24% above the County Durham median. On average 19% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 8% below the County Durham average.
More comparisons.
Benfieldside and Weardale next to other wards of County Durham.