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Is Northumberland a Healthy Place to Live?

Northumberland (North East) ranks 10 of 145 English upper-tier local authorities on the Gera Healthy-Place Index — among the healthiest places.

Is Northumberland a healthy place to live?

Northumberland scores 75.4 out of 100 on the Gera Healthy-Place Index, ranking 10 of 145 English upper-tier local authorities (1 = healthiest). It records a maximum modelled 7 μg/m³ PM2.5 and 16 μg/m³ NO2 (DEFRA 2024), life expectancy of 81.2 years (ONS), and 100.0% of GP practices rated Good or Outstanding (CQC).

Source:Gera Healthy-Place Index — composite of DEFRA + ONS + CQC open data·as of Air 2024 calendar year; life expectancy 2017-19; GP ratings 2026-06-01updated annually (last: )
Gera Healthy-Place Index75.4 / 100Northumberland ranks 10 of 145. Air 85.7/100, life expectancy 46/100, GP access 100/100 (each normalised across the included areas).How this index is calculated
Healthy-Place pillars for Northumberland — DEFRA + ONS + CQC (OGL v3.0)
PillarReal figureSub-score (0–100)
Air quality (DEFRA)max 7 μg/m³ PM2.5, 16 μg/m³ NO285.7 / 100
Life expectancy (ONS)81.2 years46 / 100
GP access (CQC)100.0% (35 of 35 rated practices)100 / 100
Northumberland air quality vs published limits (DEFRA 2024)
PollutantNorthumberland (max annual mean)WHO 2021 guidelineUK limit value
PM2.57 μg/m³5 μg/m³20 μg/m³
NO216 μg/m³10 μg/m³40 μg/m³

Re-weight what matters — is Northumberland 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.

What matters to you? (re-weight the pillars)

Weights are normalised automatically. Defaults: 40% air, 35% life expectancy, 25% GP access.

Under your weighting, Northumberland scores 75.4 / 100 and ranks 10 of 145 English upper-tier local authorities.

Air (max PM2.5 / NO2)
7 / 16 μg/m³
sub-score 85.7/100
Life expectancy
81.2 years
sub-score 46/100
GP practices Good/Outstanding
100.0%
sub-score 100/100

Wherever you live, a GeraClinic UK-registered clinician can see you by secure video — useful where local GP access is stretched.

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Top 5 healthiest places under your weighting

  1. 1. Rutland92.9 / 100
  2. 2. Wokingham79.4 / 100
  3. 3. Dorset79.1 / 100
  4. 4. Richmond upon Thames79.1 / 100
  5. 5. Bracknell Forest79 / 100

Other North East areas, ranked

Northumberland: frequently asked questions

Is Northumberland a healthy place to live?
Northumberland scores 75.4 / 100 on the Gera Healthy-Place Index, ranking 10 of 145 English upper-tier local authorities (1 = healthiest). It records a maximum modelled annual-mean of 7 μg/m³ PM2.5 and 16 μg/m³ NO2 (DEFRA 2024), life expectancy of 81.2 years (ONS) and 100.0% of its GP practices rated Good or Outstanding by the CQC.
What is the air quality in Northumberland?
In Northumberland, the highest modelled annual-mean concentrations across the authority in 2024 were 7 μg/m³ for PM2.5 and 16 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 Northumberland compare to other areas?
Northumberland ranks 10 of 145 on the Gera Healthy-Place Index, with 9 areas scoring higher. Its pillar sub-scores (0–100, higher = better) are 85.7 for air quality, 46 for life expectancy and 100 for GP access. The healthiest-ranked area overall is Rutland (92.9 / 100).
Where does this data for Northumberland come from?
Air quality is DEFRA UK-AIR Local Authority annual-mean data (2024); life expectancy is the ONS estimate for Northumberland (ONS code E06000057); 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 Northumberland

Wherever Northumberland 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.