County Durham compared with unitary authorities
Compared with the 62 unitary authorities.
- Residents
- 539,146 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,622 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where County Durham sits
1
measures in the bottom quarter
3
measures below the middle
10
measures in the top half
County Durham compares worst with unitary authorities on:
- prevention cases ending with a home secured (51st of 60; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households (4th of 58; 1st is lowest)
- enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents (8th of 62; 1st is highest)
- upheld cases the council had already put right (12th of 52; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | County Durham | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 77.6% | 56.4% | Top half 17th of 58 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | County Durham | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 3.2 | 4.3 | Top half 16th of 62 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 31.2 | 37.7 | Top half 17th of 62 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 23.5% | 14.9% | Top half 12th of 52 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 85.7% | 77.8% | Top half 16th of 45 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | County Durham | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | No figure | 69.1% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | No figure | 68.9% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | No figure | 75.3% | No council homes | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | No figure | 58.0% | No council homes | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | No figure | 82.6% | No council homes | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | No figure | 2.2% | No council homes | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | No figure | 73.2% | No council homes |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | County Durham | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 95.1% | 95.8% | Below the middle 36th of 62 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | County Durham | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 9.8 | 11.1 | Top half 23rd of 62 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 110.4 | 41.4 | Top half 8th of 62 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 36.7% | 42.3% | Below the middle 43rd of 60 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | County Durham | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 0.5 | 1.9 | Top half 4th of 58 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 3.8% | 7.9% | Top half 20th of 55 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 41.0% | 50.5% | Bottom quarter 51st of 60 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 33.4% | 37.7% | Below the middle 39th of 60 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | County Durham | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 94.8% | 93.4% | Top half 27th of 62 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | County Durham | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £356 | £298 | 17th of 61 | |
| Adult social care | £388 | £480 | 56th of 61 | |
| Public health | £118 | £66 | 7th of 61 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £45 | £35 | 23rd of 61 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £136 | £111 | 11th of 61 | |
| Highways and transport | £51 | £49 | 27th of 61 | |
| Culture and leisure | £80 | £37 | 4th of 61 | |
| Planning and development | £51 | £21 | 6th of 61 | |
| Central services | £60 | £51 | 24th of 61 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,287 | £1,189 | 18th of 61 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated County Durham’s children's services outstanding at its last full inspection, in March 2025.
- Outstanding
- 15 of the 62 unitary authorities, including County Durham
- Good
- 26 of the 62 unitary authorities
- Requires improvement
- 16 of the 62 unitary authorities
- Inadequate
- 5 of the 62 unitary authorities
Over time
County Durham against the median of unitary authorities.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- County Durham: 77.6%
- Median (unitary authorities): 56.4%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- County Durham: 3.2
- Median (unitary authorities): 4.3
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- County Durham: 36.7%
- Median (unitary authorities): 42.3%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- County Durham: 9.8
- Median (unitary authorities): 11.1
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is County Durham. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.