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Neighbourhood · County Durham

Thornley & Wheatley Hill: house prices and how the area is changing

Official figures for the Thornley & Wheatley Hill neighbourhood of County Durham, England (ONS area County Durham 040). Headline figures assembled 1 November 2026. Postcodes DH6, TS28, TS29. Figures that read a point use the neighbourhood's centre, near DH6 3RT.

One of the most income-deprived neighbourhoods in England, showing clear signs of gentrification

Thornley & Wheatley Hill is one of the most income-deprived neighbourhoods in England; it shows clear signs of gentrification against County Durham (4 of 17 signals rising, 1 falling). Houses here typically resell for £92,999 (median resale price, 2023-2025). Recorded crime is higher than across County Durham (1.3 times the borough's rate) and the nearest railway station, Horden, is 7.7 km from the neighbourhood's centre.

The neighbourhood in brief, from the figures on this page. Summary updated 1 November 2026; source dates are shown below.

Typical house price

£92,999

Median resale price of houses in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; +41% against 2017-2019.

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data

Affluence today

Among the most income-deprived

How well off the neighbourhood is now, from household income, home prices and deprivation.

Source: ONS, HM Land Registry, MHCLG Indices of Deprivation

Signs of gentrification

Clear signs

Weighted balance +0.36; 4 of 17 signals up, 1 down, against the borough.

Source: Official statistics on prices, incomes, benefits, businesses, schools and more (a full report shows every signal)

Deprivation

Decile 2 of 10

English Indices of Deprivation 2025: 1 is the most deprived tenth of neighbourhoods, 10 the least. At the neighbourhood's centre; its 5 small areas range from decile 1 to 3.

Source: MHCLG English Indices of Deprivation 2025

Average household income

£37,800

ONS estimate for the neighbourhood (modelled, with a margin of error).

Source: Office for National Statistics

Recorded crime

1.3 times the borough's rate

Crimes recorded by the police over 12 months (not anti-social behaviour) per resident, against the borough. Crime per resident can overstate the risk in busy centres where many people work or visit.

Source: Police.uk

Where Thornley & Wheatley Hill sits in County Durham

  • Typical house price: joint 10th lowest of 65 neighbourhoods in County Durham
  • Average household income: joint 16th lowest of 65 neighbourhoods in County Durham

Ranked among the council's neighbourhoods by the figures on each one's own page, checked 1 November 2026: typical prices are HM Land Registry resale medians over the latest three-year window, household income the ONS's modelled estimate, with a margin of error, so neighbourhoods a place or two apart may not really differ.

Prices over time in Thornley & Wheatley Hill

House prices: Thornley & Wheatley Hill against County Durham: This neighbourhood £28k (1995) to £122k (2026); County Durham £35k (1995) to £140k (2026).£40k£125k2026202120162011200620011995This neighbourhood£122kCounty Durham£140k
Median resale price of houses each year here and across County Durham, 1995 to 2026 (HM Land Registry Price Paid Data: standard sales, new builds left out). Years with fewer than 10 sales here are left out. 2026 is the year so far (dashed).

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, held locally and checked 1 November 2026. Medians each year, not a valuation of any home.

How the area is changing, signal by signal

4 of 17 counted signals point towards rising affluence against County Durham, 1 the other way and 12 in line. A reading of official statistics against the borough, not a prediction; a full report shows every signal's figures and weight. Where this reading sits among every neighbourhood in England and Wales: the gentrification league table.

Rising against the borough

  • Resale prices
  • Recent price momentum
  • Income deprivation ranking
  • Benefit claims (DWP)

Falling behind the borough

  • Air quality

Stations and schools nearby

Nearest station

  • Horden Railway station, 7.7 km from the neighbourhood's centre in a straight line. About 2.2 trains an hour leave between 07:00 and 19:00 on a weekday: Northern to Newcastle (about 42 min) and Nunthorpe (about 58 min).

Station locations: NaPTAN (Department for Transport). Trains: Network Rail's timetable for Tuesday 6 October 2026, with the timetabled minutes of direct trains; timetabled, not live running. Distances from the neighbourhood's centre in a straight line, walked at 4.8 km/h; the real route is longer.

Nearest state schools

  • Nearest state primary school Wheatley Hill Community Primary School 270 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Good (Oct 2023).
  • Nearest state secondary school Wellfield School 3.1 km from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Report card: Expected standard in 6 areas (May 2026).

Schools: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (20 October 2026); inspections: Ofsted's management information as at 30 September 2026, in Ofsted's own words. Straight-line distances; not a catchment or admissions assessment.

Questions about Thornley & Wheatley Hill

What is the typical house price in Thornley & Wheatley Hill?

£92,999. Median resale price of houses in the neighbourhood, 2023-2025; +41% against 2017-2019.

How does Thornley & Wheatley Hill compare with the rest of County Durham?

Typical house price: joint 10th lowest of 65 neighbourhoods in County Durham. Average household income: joint 16th lowest of 65 neighbourhoods in County Durham.

Is Thornley & Wheatley Hill an affluent area?

Among the most income-deprived. How well off the neighbourhood is now, from household income, home prices and deprivation.

Is Thornley & Wheatley Hill gentrifying?

Clear signs. Weighted balance +0.36; 4 of 17 signals up, 1 down, against the borough.

What is the nearest station to Thornley & Wheatley Hill?

Horden. Railway station, 7.7 km from the neighbourhood's centre in a straight line. About 2.2 trains an hour leave between 07:00 and 19:00 on a weekday: Northern to Newcastle (about 42 min) and Nunthorpe (about 58 min).

Which state schools are nearest to Thornley & Wheatley Hill?

Nearest state primary school. Wheatley Hill Community Primary School. 270 m from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Good (Oct 2023). Nearest state secondary school. Wellfield School. 3.1 km from the neighbourhood's centre. Ofsted: Report card: Expected standard in 6 areas (May 2026).

Each answer repeats a figure shown above, with its source there.

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Neighbourhood names: House of Commons Library, MSOA Names, Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains public sector information (MHCLG, Police.uk, Ofsted, Department for Education) licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Station locations from NaPTAN (Department for Transport), Open Government Licence v3.0. Trains: contains information of Network Rail Infrastructure Limited licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures describe the area, not any home, and are not a valuation or a prediction.