Side-by-side crime statistics from official UK Police data.
DH1 · County Durham
333
crimes in February 2026
Above national average
DH4 · Sunderland
86
crimes in February 2026
Below national average
Houghton-le-Spring has less crime — 86 vs 333 incidents in February 2026.
Durham recorded substantially more crime than Houghton-le-Spring in February 2026 — 333 incidents compared to 86, a 3.9x difference. Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their most common crime type, though Durham records significantly more (103 vs 29 incidents). Durham sits above the national average for recorded crime while Houghton-le-Spring is below — a significant gap for anyone weighing up the two.
Full reports cover 24 months of trends, ward breakdowns, outcome rates, and a detailed safety score — from £4.99.
Based on February 2026 Police data, Houghton-le-Spring recorded fewer crimes than Durham — 86 vs 333 incidents. That is 74% fewer crimes. Houghton-le-Spring is also below the national average for crime.
Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their top crime category. In February 2026, Durham recorded 103 incidents of this type vs 29 in Houghton-le-Spring. Overall, Houghton-le-Spring had fewer total crimes (86 vs 333).