Lower Teesdale
vs Upper Teesdale
Lower Teesdale has the younger population: 16% of residents are aged 15–29, against 10% in Upper Teesdale. Homes in Upper Teesdale sold for a median of £269,000, 14% above Lower Teesdale. Upper Teesdale has more green space nearby (42% within 500 m, against 26%).
People
Lower Teesdale has 8,230 residents in 3,709 households; Upper Teesdale has 4,589 in 2,144. Upper Teesdale has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 29%, 1.2 percentage points more than Lower Teesdale (County Durham: 21%). The share of people living alone is about the same in both (32% and 31%).
Homes and prices
In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 35% of homes in Lower Teesdale and 47% in Upper Teesdale. Lower Teesdale has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 70%, 3.8 percentage points more than Upper Teesdale (County Durham: 63%). Upper Teesdale has the higher share of private renting: 25%, 7.5 percentage points more than Lower Teesdale (County Durham: 17%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £235,000 in Lower Teesdale and £269,000 in Upper Teesdale, against £145,000 across County Durham.
Surroundings
Upper Teesdale has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 42%, 15.7 percentage points more than Lower Teesdale (County Durham: 21%). A typical postcode has 10 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Lower Teesdale, and 3 in Upper Teesdale. The typical postcode is 782 m from the nearest school in Lower Teesdale and 2,420 m in Upper Teesdale. The typical postcode is 11,097 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Lower Teesdale and 14,478 m in Upper Teesdale. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 69% of premises in Lower Teesdale and 80% in Upper Teesdale.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 48 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Lower Teesdale and 54 in Upper Teesdale, 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.
Lower Teesdale is one of 51 wards in County Durham, home to 8,230 people in 3,709 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £235,000 over the past two years, 62% above the County Durham median. On average 26% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 26% above the County Durham average.
Upper Teesdale is one of 51 wards in County Durham, home to 4,589 people in 2,144 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £269,000 over the past two years, 86% above the County Durham median. On average 42% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 103% above the County Durham average.
More comparisons.
Lower Teesdale and Upper Teesdale next to other wards of County Durham.