Castle Eden & Passfield
vs Thornley & Wheatley Hill
Thornley & Wheatley Hill has the younger population: 17% of residents are aged 15–29, against 16% in Castle Eden & Passfield. Homes in Castle Eden & Passfield sold for a median of £200,000, 60% above Thornley & Wheatley Hill. Castle Eden & Passfield has more green space nearby (27% within 500 m, against 14%).
People
Castle Eden & Passfield has 5,785 residents in 2,572 households; Thornley & Wheatley Hill has 5,691 in 2,608. Castle Eden & Passfield has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 23%, 1.8 percentage points more than Thornley & Wheatley Hill (County Durham: 21%). Thornley & Wheatley Hill has the higher share of people living alone: 33%, 5.2 percentage points more than Castle Eden & Passfield (County Durham: 34%).
Homes and prices
The most common type of home is detached houses in Castle Eden & Passfield (44%) and semi-detached houses in Thornley & Wheatley Hill (52%). Castle Eden & Passfield has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 71%, 9.4 percentage points more than Thornley & Wheatley Hill (County Durham: 63%). Thornley & Wheatley Hill has the higher share of private renting: 14%, 2.4 percentage points more than Castle Eden & Passfield (County Durham: 17%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £200,000 in Castle Eden & Passfield and £125,000 in Thornley & Wheatley Hill, against £145,000 across County Durham.
Surroundings
Castle Eden & Passfield has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 27%, 13.2 percentage points more than Thornley & Wheatley Hill (County Durham: 21%). A typical postcode has 31 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Castle Eden & Passfield, and 19 in Thornley & Wheatley Hill. The typical postcode is 522 m from the nearest school in Castle Eden & Passfield and 451 m in Thornley & Wheatley Hill. The typical postcode is 3,242 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Castle Eden & Passfield and 7,902 m in Thornley & Wheatley Hill. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 71% of premises in Castle Eden & Passfield and 93% in Thornley & Wheatley Hill.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 99 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Castle Eden & Passfield and 157 in Thornley & Wheatley Hill, 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.
Castle Eden & Passfield is one of 51 wards in County Durham, home to 5,785 people in 2,572 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £200,000 over the past two years, 38% above the County Durham median. On average 27% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 30% above the County Durham average.
Thornley & Wheatley Hill is one of 51 wards in County Durham, home to 5,691 people in 2,608 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £125,000 over the past two years, 14% below the County Durham median. On average 14% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 34% below the County Durham average.
More comparisons.
Castle Eden & Passfield and Thornley & Wheatley Hill next to other wards of County Durham.