Darlington: population and statistics
Darlington has a population of 113,402 (2025) across 197.5 km², or 574 people per km². It ranks 265 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +7.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 113,402 residents
- 197.5 km²
- 574 people/km²
Darlington in numbers
Population of Darlington over time
Darlington had 105,988 residents in 2015 and 113,402 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 106,827 |
| 2021 | 108,210 |
| 2022 | 109,364 |
| 2023 | 110,776 |
| 2024 | 112,150 |
| 2025 | 113,402 |
All indicators for Darlington
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Darlington | North East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 21.5% | 21.3% | 20.4% | ranked 149 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 17.6% | 17.1% | 17.4% | ranked 167 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Darlington | North East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 54,150 dwellings | 1,296,150 | 27,429,300 | ranked 219 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 39.9% | 33.8% | 31.6% | ranked 87 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 19.4% | 16.3% | 18.1% | ranked 129 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 48,915 households | 124,506 | 61,440 | ranked 222 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 86.7% | 85.3% | 84.7% | ranked 134 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 13.1% | 14.5% | 14.8% | ranked 175 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 63.1% | 60.5% | 67.3% | ranked 217 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 20.6% | 17.3% | 17.6% | ranked 88 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 16.2% | 22.0% | 14.3% | ranked 114 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £159,988 | £168,472 | £272,474 | ranked 337 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | 2.9% | 4.8% | 2.2% | ranked 139 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Darlington | North East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.2% | ranked 204 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 81.4% | 79.2% | 76.7% | ranked 60 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 5.9% | 5.2% | 7.8% | ranked 227 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 1.4% | 1.6% | 0.9% | ranked 146 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Darlington | North East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 4,255 sites | 92,455 | 3,232,440 | ranked 299 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 37.5 per 1,000 | 33.5 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 269 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 3,450 businesses | 74,490 | 2,786,975 | ranked 312 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £36,166 | £35,016 | £38,490 | ranked 251 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Darlington | North East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 73.7% | 71.8% | 76.3% | ranked 233 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 3.6% | 3.7% | 3.2% | ranked 120 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Darlington | North East | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 25.0% | 27.7% | 18.5% | ranked 78 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 12 local authorities in North East, Darlington ranks 11 by population.
Average house price: £159,988 in Darlington, compared with an average of £168,472 in North East and £308,859 across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 18.6% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Average house price”: lower than in 94% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 27,660 football pitches.
- 2.0 times denser than the UK average.
- The nearest local authority is Stockton-on-Tees, 14.5 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is Stockton-on-Tees (207,158 residents), 14 km away.
Business sectors: Darlington
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade18.6% ×1.2
- Construction12.4% ×1.0
- Professional, scientific and technical11.9% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services8.1% ×1.0
- Accommodation and food services7.7% ×1.1
- Health and social work7.0% ×1.2
- Other service activities5.2% ×1.3
- Manufacturing4.2% ×1.0
Where is Darlington?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Darlington?
Darlington has 113,402 residents (2025), ranking 265 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Darlington?
Darlington covers 197.5 km², with a density of 574 people per km².
Is the population of Darlington growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Darlington went from 105,988 to 113,402, a change of +7.0%.
Where is Darlington?
Darlington is in North East (region). Latitude 54.517, longitude −1.550.
Average house price: what is the figure for Darlington?
In Darlington, “Average house price” stands at £159,988 (2026), ranking 337 of 360 local authorities; the UK median is £272,474.
Registered businesses (enterprises): what is the figure for Darlington?
In Darlington, “Registered businesses (enterprises)” stands at 3,450 businesses (2026), ranking 312 of 361 local authorities; the UK median is 5,780 businesses.
Which local authorities border Darlington?
The nearest to Darlington are Stockton-on-Tees (14 km), Middlesbrough (21 km), County Durham (28 km), Hartlepool (29 km), Redcar and Cleveland (34 km).