Newcastle upon TyneCountsNewcastle upon Tyne, in numbers.Local help →Newcastle upon Tyne · England
Newcastle upon Tyne council area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats drawn from the available evidence. These are analytical judgements, not an official council assessment. Where a national comparison is available, lower housing costs, lower reported poor health and higher qualification shares are treated as relative strengths; this does not prove affordability or service quality.
strength
Average private rent is £1,215 a month (August 2026) in Newcastle upon Tyne council area. This is £244 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.8% in Chapel to 54.8% in Jesmond — a gap of 47 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
What could help →strength
34.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Newcastle upon Tyne council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 3.2% in Jesmond to 37.4% in Elswick — a gap of 34.2 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
What could help →weakness
6.3% of people reported bad or very bad health in Newcastle upon Tyne council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Jesmond to 11.6% in Walker — a gap of 9.4 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
What could help →opportunity
Street improvements around Pilgrim’s Quarter are under way, while the wider Newcastle–Gateshead urban-core framework is still a draft.
Proposed response: Manage current access well and avoid presenting the wider draft as a set of approved projects.
What could help →opportunity
Newcastle has secured funding for 966 council homes, but the award does not establish when each site will deliver.
Proposed response: Publish the funded sites and milestones, then track homes residents can occupy.
What could help →opportunity
14.8% of people in Newcastle upon Tyne council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 4.6% in Monument to 31.5% in Chapel — a gap of 26.9 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
What could help →opportunity
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Newcastle upon Tyne council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
What could help →opportunity
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
What could help →opportunity
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 8.2% in Parklands & North Gosforth to 35% in Walker — a gap of 26.8 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
What could help →The evidence gathered here does not yet support a distinct finding in this category.
| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Keep Pilgrim’s Quarter access clear during wider planningPilgrim’s Quarter street improvements: Street improvements under way; Newcastle–Gateshead urban core plan: Draft framework unveiled. See the dated project evidence. | Newcastle City Council; Newcastle City Council, Gateshead Council and North East Mayoral Strategic Authority | |
| Turn the council-home funding award into a visible delivery programme25 August 2026: £141.4 million government award announced for 966 planned council homes. | Newcastle City Council and Homes England | |
| Make room for homes people can affordAverage private rent is £1,215 a month (August 2026) in Newcastle upon Tyne council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.8% in Chapel to 54.8% in Jesmond — a gap of 47 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 26 of 26 current wards have comparable figures. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population14.8% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 4.6% in Monument to 31.5% in Chapel — a gap of 26.9 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 26 of 26 current wards have comparable figures. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health6.3% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Jesmond to 11.6% in Walker — a gap of 9.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 26 of 26 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities34.6% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 3.2% in Jesmond to 37.4% in Elswick — a gap of 34.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 26 of 26 current wards have comparable figures. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services | |
| Target support where disadvantages overlapHouseholds facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 8.2% in Parklands & North Gosforth to 35% in Walker — a gap of 26.8 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 26 of 26 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |