Haughton Le Skerne
Darlington 005 · 4 sub-areas · 5,567 residents
Darlington 005 is a residential neighbourhood in Darlington, home to around 5,567 people and notably affordable even by North East standards. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £608 a month — well under half the UK national median for a 2-bed — and with house prices averaging around £147,000, buying is a realistic ambition for many residents here.
Haughton Le Skerne is a green, lower-density part of Darlington — parks within walking distance of most addresses, a slower weekday rhythm, and a population skewed toward longer-tenure households rather than transient renters. The population skews older, with a long-settled feel and a high share of retirees.
Overview
What's it like to live in Haughton Le Skerne?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; Crime sits around the national average — neither a notable concern nor a notable selling point; Public transport is genuinely strong; most errands and a fair share of social life don't need a car; rents are below the national norm, with a typical home letting at around £666 a month; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 4 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Haughton Le Skerne in Darlington
Living in Haughton Le Skerne
This part of Darlington has a settled, predominantly owner-occupied character. Around six in ten households own their home, and the age profile skews older than much of the North East — over a quarter of residents are 65 or above, and those aged 50 to 64 make up another fifth. That gives the neighbourhood a quieter, more established feel compared with the younger, more transient pockets closer to Darlington's town centre.
Rents here are genuinely low. At around £608 a month for a typical two-bedroom, you're paying roughly half the UK median for equivalent space. Even allowing for Darlington's modest wage base — residents earn around £30,100 a year — that works out to roughly 35% of take-home pay going on rent, which is high by local standards but manageable by national ones. The deposit hurdle is also unusually modest: around two and a half years' savings at average income levels.
The neighbourhood carries a notable social housing stock — around one in four households is in the social rented sector, which is well above the typical share for a largely owner-occupied area. Private renting accounts for only about one in eight households, so this isn't a neighbourhood dominated by short-term renters. The demographic picture is relatively homogeneous: around 95% of residents were born in the UK, and the diversity index is low compared with the wider region.
Day-to-day, the nearest greenspace is under ten minutes' walk, which is a genuine plus for families and older residents. Darlington's town centre is accessible for shopping and services, and the broader connectivity picture is car-dominated — over 60% of residents drive to work, with public transport used by fewer than one in twenty. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
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Frequently asked
- Is Darlington 005 a nice place to live?
- It's a quiet, settled residential neighbourhood with low rents and high home ownership. The older demographic and stable community make it calm rather than lively — well suited to those who want affordability and stability over nightlife or city buzz. Crime runs close to the national average, and greenspace is within easy walking distance.
- What is the rent in Darlington 005?
- A one-bedroom home runs around £480 a month, a two-bedroom around £608, and a three-bedroom around £740. These figures are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 6% in the past year, but remain well below the UK median.
- Is Darlington 005 safe?
- The crime rate is around 83 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, broadly in line with the UK national average of roughly 80. It's not a low-crime outlier, but it's not significantly elevated either. The settled, older population tends to keep antisocial behaviour lower than in more transient urban neighbourhoods.
- What's the commute from Darlington 005 to Darlington town centre?
- Most residents drive — around 62% use a car for commuting. The nearest mainline rail station is about 1.9 km away, roughly a 23-minute walk. Public transport use is low at under 5% of residents, so if you don't drive, factor that in carefully before moving here.
- Who lives in Darlington 005?
- Primarily older, settled residents — over a quarter are aged 65 or above, and another fifth are in the 50–64 bracket. Around six in ten households own their home. There's also a significant social housing population, at around 26% of households, giving the neighbourhood a dual-tenure character.
- What schools are near Darlington 005?
- There are 48 schools within typical catchment distance, but only around 38% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted — well below the national average of roughly 89%. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is about 2.8 km away. If schools are a priority, researching specific catchments carefully is strongly advised before committing to the area.
- Is it worth buying a home in Darlington 005?
- The median house price is around £147,000, and at local median earnings the deposit hurdle is roughly two and a half years' savings — one of the more accessible buying timelines in England. With rents also low, the rent-vs-buy calculation is genuinely competitive here compared with most UK cities.