# Shildon & Dene Valley

South east County Durham. About 17,535 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 24 square kilometres.

Shildon & Dene Valley had 16,901 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021).

Ward. Code E05016193. In: [North East](https://openindex.co.uk/north-east) › [County Durham](https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham)

## Key figures

- **Population: 16,901** (2021). Shildon & Dene Valley had 16,901 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021). 448th most populated of 8,397. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/shildon-and-dene-valley#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 86%** (2022). About 86% of people in Shildon & Dene Valley live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/shildon-and-dene-valley#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 93.4%** (January 2026). In Shildon & Dene Valley, 93.4% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/shildon-and-dene-valley#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 4.7%** (August 2026). In Shildon & Dene Valley, 4.7% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026 (ONS via Nomis). UK 3.9%. Source: Claimant count (Nomis), August 2026. Published 15 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/shildon-and-dene-valley#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=E05016193) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 86% of people in Shildon & Dene Valley live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=E05016193) (UK House Price Index · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of County Durham. The outline is Shildon & Dene Valley.
- [Crime and ASB by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/recorded-crime?place=E05016193) (Police recorded crime and outcomes (data.police.uk) · August 2026): Crime and anti-social behaviour for Shildon & Dene Valley.
- [Population by ward](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=E05016193) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Shildon & Dene Valley had 16,901 usual residents at the census.

## How Shildon & Dene Valley compares

Each ward against every other ward the measure covers.

| Measure | Shildon & Dene Valley | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 16,901 | most populated | 51 wards, County Durham · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 86% | joint 13th most people in radon Affected Areas | 51 wards, County Durham · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 93.4% | 16th highest | 51 wards, County Durham · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 4.7% | 4th highest | 51 wards, County Durham · Aug 2026 |

## Is Shildon & Dene Valley safe? What police records show

In the 12 months to August 2026, police recorded crimes and anti-social behaviour in Shildon & Dene Valley at a rate of 160.1 per 1,000 people.
That compares with 120.3 per 1,000 people across County Durham.
Across England as a whole, the recorded crime rate was 96.3 per 1,000 people.
In August 2026 alone, 264 cases of crime and anti-social behaviour were recorded in Shildon & Dene Valley.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the most common types were violence and sexual offences (1,060), anti-social behaviour (535) and other crime (470).
Worked out by Open Index from police.uk crime records and ONS and NISRA population estimates.
Rates are per resident, so places that many people work in or visit, such as Westminster, the City of London and other city centres, have far higher rates than their residents alone would suggest.

## Figures for the whole of County Durham

These figures are published for the whole of County Durham, not for each ward, so they describe all of County Durham and not Shildon & Dene Valley alone. [See County Durham](https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham)

- **Average house price: £140,788** (August 2026). County Durham’s average house price was £140,788 in August 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 4.9% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, August 2026. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £33,436** (2025). Full-time workers living in County Durham earned a median of £33,436 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 23rd lowest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 4.2×** (2025). A home in County Durham costs 4.2 times local full-time pay. Joint 15th most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 21 October 2026.
- **Deprivation score: 28.8** (2025). County Durham has a deprivation score of 28.8 in the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG). Joint 48th most deprived of 296. Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025, 2025. Published 30 October 2025.

## Shildon & Dene Valley in brief

Shildon & Dene Valley had 16,901 usual residents at the census.
About 86% of people in Shildon & Dene Valley live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In Shildon & Dene Valley, 93.4% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In Shildon & Dene Valley, 4.7% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Ward
- Code: E05016193
- Constituency: [Bishop Auckland †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/bishop-auckland)
- Council: [County Durham](https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham)
- Region: [North East](https://openindex.co.uk/north-east)
- Nation: [England](https://openindex.co.uk/england)
- Area: 24.45 km²
- People, mid-2024: 17,535*
- Neighbourhoods: 11
- Output areas: 62

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the constituency this ward mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow it.

## Next door

[Bishop Auckland](https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/bishop-auckland), [Heighington & Coniscliffe](https://openindex.co.uk/darlington/ward/heighington-and-coniscliffe), [Spennymoor](https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/spennymoor), [Ferryhill](https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/ferryhill), [Aycliffe North & Middridge](https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/aycliffe-north-and-middridge), [Chilton](https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/chilton)

## Latest updates for Shildon & Dene Valley

- August 2026 house prices published: HM Land Registry and partners · Oct 2026.
- September 2026 rent published: ONS private rents · Oct 2026.
- Dental practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/E05016193

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/shildon-and-dene-valley, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/shildon-and-dene-valley#f-population.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.9. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/county-durham/ward/shildon-and-dene-valley