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What it's like to live in Durham

Day to day, the centre is busy and the streets are old, which means steep bits, cobbles and narrow pavements in places. Some people love that. Others find it tiring, especially with a pushchair.

The wider County Durham area skews a little older than England as a whole, with 21.3 per cent aged 65 and over against 18.4 per cent nationally, and slightly fewer children. In the city itself, the student share changes the feel of some streets. It is worth walking the specific neighbourhood you are considering at different times of day before you commit to a swap.

Getting around

Durham is one of the easier places in the North East to live without a car. The train station is about a tenth of a mile from the centre and sits on the East Coast Main Line, so longer journeys are straightforward. Durham City Bus Station is right in the middle of town, which makes getting out to villages across the county and to neighbouring towns practical.

On foot, the centre is small and most everyday things, a pharmacy, a library, the cinema, a gym, are within half a mile. The hills are the catch. Durham is built on steep ground and some routes are a real climb.

If you drive, the city is well placed for the wider county, but parking in and around the centre is tight and the narrow old streets are not built for traffic. Supermarkets sit a mile and a half or so out, which is an easy drive or a bus ride but a longer walk back with bags.

Schools and family life

There is a good spread of schools close by. For primary, St Margaret's Church of England Primary School and The Chorister School are both around half a mile away, with Neville's Cross Primary School and Nursery and St Oswald's Church of England Aided Primary and Nursery School a little further at 0.7 miles.

For secondary, St Leonard's Catholic School is 0.4 miles out and Durham Johnston School half a mile. Durham Trinity School and Sports College is under a mile, and Framwellgate School Durham sits at 1.4 miles. Durham School covers both primary and secondary ages. Check admissions and catchments directly, as popular schools fill up and rules change.

For time out of the house, Wharton Park is the obvious one at a fifth of a mile, with Gilesgate Park a mile away and Holliday Park at 1.4 miles. Durham Clayport Library is a short walk from the centre. The University Hospital of North Durham is under a mile away, which is reassuring with children.

Things to do

For a city of this size, there is plenty within walking distance. Odeon Luxe and Gala are both within a third of a mile, so a cinema trip does not need a car. Freeman's Quay Gym, Pace Health Club and Result Fitness are all close to the centre too.

Pubs are everywhere in the old streets. The Station House, the Angel Inn, Bar 33, The Holy GrAle and The Water House are all within a few minutes of each other. Later on, places like Loft, Bohemia, Jimmy Allens and Klute keep things going, which is great if you want it and less great if you live above it.

There is a strong community side as well. Durham Community Association is right in the centre and Redhills, the Durham Miners' Hall, is a fifth of a mile away. Gilesgate Welfare and Community Association and Merryoaks Community Hall serve their own neighbourhoods. Libraries, including Palace Green and Clayport, are clustered near the middle of town.

Work and the local economy

Durham's economy leans heavily on the university, the cathedral and tourism, and on health. The University Hospital of North Durham is less than a mile from the centre, with Lanchester Road Hospital around two miles out, so health and care work is a real presence locally.

The wider picture across County Durham is mixed. Just over half of adults, 51.2 per cent, are in work, below the England figure of 57.4 per cent. Unemployment is slightly lower than the national rate at 3.1 per cent, and benefit claimants stood at 3.2 per cent of working-age people in August 2026, against 4 per cent for England.

What Durham gives you is reach. With the main line station on your doorstep, commuting to Newcastle, Darlington or further afield is realistic, and the bus station opens up jobs across the county. That flexibility is worth a lot if your work is not based in the city itself.

Housing and who lives here

Housing in the County Durham council area is mostly owner-occupied, at 62.5 per cent. Social renting accounts for 20 per cent, a little above the England figure of 17.1 per cent, split fairly evenly between council homes at 9.4 per cent and housing association homes at 10.6 per cent. Private renting makes up 17.1 per cent, and in Durham city itself a good chunk of that is student accommodation.

The largest social landlords across the county are Believe Housing with around 18,117 homes, Karbon Homes with 11,635 and Livin Housing with 8,762. Home Group and Bernicia Group also hold stock here.

Rents are modest. Average weekly social rents in 2024/25 were about £79 for a one bed, £90 for two and £97 for three. Demand is real, though: 9,642 households were on the county's housing register at 31 March 2025, with 290 homes let through the council in 2024-25. A register is not a simple queue, which is one reason a mutual exchange can be a faster route.

Everything about Durham