Peterlee
vs Thornley & Wheatley Hill
Peterlee has the younger population: 19% of residents are aged 15–29, against 17% in Thornley & Wheatley Hill. Homes in Thornley & Wheatley Hill sold for a median of £125,000, 37% above Peterlee. Peterlee has more green space nearby (16% within 500 m, against 14%).
People
Peterlee has 12,011 residents in 5,223 households; Thornley & Wheatley Hill has 5,691 in 2,608. Thornley & Wheatley Hill has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 21%, 5.2 percentage points more than Peterlee (County Durham: 21%). Thornley & Wheatley Hill has the higher share of people living alone: 33%, 2.6 percentage points more than Peterlee (County Durham: 34%).
Homes and prices
In both, semi-detached houses are the most common type of home: 48% of homes in Peterlee and 52% in Thornley & Wheatley Hill. Thornley & Wheatley Hill has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 61%, 8.7 percentage points more than Peterlee (County Durham: 63%). Peterlee has the higher share of private renting: 18%, 4.6 percentage points more than Thornley & Wheatley Hill (County Durham: 17%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £91,500 in Peterlee and £125,000 in Thornley & Wheatley Hill, against £145,000 across County Durham.
Surroundings
Peterlee has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 16%, 2.3 percentage points more than Thornley & Wheatley Hill (County Durham: 21%). A typical postcode has 63 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Peterlee, and 19 in Thornley & Wheatley Hill. The typical postcode is 456 m from the nearest school in Peterlee and 451 m in Thornley & Wheatley Hill. The typical postcode is 2,410 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Peterlee and 7,902 m in Thornley & Wheatley Hill. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 95% of premises in Peterlee and 93% in Thornley & Wheatley Hill.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 146 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Peterlee 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.
Peterlee is one of 51 wards in County Durham, home to 12,011 people in 5,223 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £91,500 over the past two years, 37% below the County Durham median. On average 16% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 23% below 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.
Peterlee and Thornley & Wheatley Hill next to other wards of County Durham.