Is County Durham a Healthy Place to Live?
County Durham (North East) ranks 95 of 145 English upper-tier local authorities on the Gera Healthy-Place Index — among the mid-table.
Is County Durham a healthy place to live?
County Durham scores 58.9 out of 100 on the Gera Healthy-Place Index, ranking 95 of 145 English upper-tier local authorities (1 = healthiest). It records a maximum modelled 8 μg/m³ PM2.5 and 25 μg/m³ NO2 (DEFRA 2024), life expectancy of 80.0 years (ONS), and 95.0% of GP practices rated Good or Outstanding (CQC).
| Pillar | Real figure | Sub-score (0–100) |
|---|---|---|
| Air quality (DEFRA) | max 8 μg/m³ PM2.5, 25 μg/m³ NO2 | 65.3 / 100 |
| Life expectancy (ONS) | 80.0 years | 33.9 / 100 |
| GP access (CQC) | 95.0% (57 of 60 rated practices) | 83.6 / 100 |
| Pollutant | County Durham (max annual mean) | WHO 2021 guideline | UK limit value |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 8 μg/m³ | 5 μg/m³ | 20 μg/m³ |
| NO2 | 25 μg/m³ | 10 μg/m³ | 40 μg/m³ |
Re-weight what matters — is County Durham right for you?
Adjust the sliders for air quality, life expectancy and GP access; the ranking re-computes live and shows where this area lands under your own priorities.
Under your weighting, County Durham scores 58.9 / 100 and ranks 95 of 145 English upper-tier local authorities.
Wherever you live, a GeraClinic UK-registered clinician can see you by secure video — useful where local GP access is stretched.
See a GeraClinic doctorTop 5 healthiest places under your weighting
- 1. Rutland92.9 / 100
- 2. Wokingham79.4 / 100
- 3. Dorset79.1 / 100
- 4. Richmond upon Thames79.1 / 100
- 5. Bracknell Forest79 / 100
Other North East areas, ranked
County Durham: frequently asked questions
- Is County Durham a healthy place to live?
- County Durham scores 58.9 / 100 on the Gera Healthy-Place Index, ranking 95 of 145 English upper-tier local authorities (1 = healthiest). It records a maximum modelled annual-mean of 8 μg/m³ PM2.5 and 25 μg/m³ NO2 (DEFRA 2024), life expectancy of 80.0 years (ONS) and 95.0% of its GP practices rated Good or Outstanding by the CQC.
- What is the air quality in County Durham?
- In County Durham, the highest modelled annual-mean concentrations across the authority in 2024 were 8 μg/m³ for PM2.5 and 25 μg/m³ for NO2 (DEFRA UK-AIR compliance data). For comparison, the WHO 2021 annual-mean guideline values are 5 μg/m³ (PM2.5) and 10 μg/m³ (NO2), and the UK statutory limit values are 20 μg/m³ (PM2.5) and 40 μg/m³ (NO2).
- How does County Durham compare to other areas?
- County Durham ranks 95 of 145 on the Gera Healthy-Place Index, with 94 areas scoring higher. Its pillar sub-scores (0–100, higher = better) are 65.3 for air quality, 33.9 for life expectancy and 83.6 for GP access. The healthiest-ranked area overall is Rutland (92.9 / 100).
- Where does this data for County Durham come from?
- Air quality is DEFRA UK-AIR Local Authority annual-mean data (2024); life expectancy is the ONS estimate for County Durham (ONS code E06000047); GP access is the share of CQC-rated GP practices rated Good or Outstanding. All three are Open Government Licence v3.0. The composite is computed by Gera and the underlying figures are unaltered — none is estimated.
Healthcare in County Durham
Wherever County Durham ranks, a GeraClinic UK-registered clinician can see you by secure video — useful where local GP access is stretched. Often same-day.
Contains public sector information published by Gera Systems and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (source data). Source: Gera Healthy-Place Index — composite of DEFRA + ONS + CQC open data (Air 2024 calendar year; life expectancy 2017-19; GP ratings 2026-06-01, published 19 June 2026).
Reference: the included-area mean is 9.4 μg/m³ PM2.5, 26.8 μg/m³ NO2, 81.4 years life expectancy, 95.9% GP practices Good/Outstanding. Healthiest overall: Rutland (92.9/100). See the methodology.