Bishop Auckland is a large County Durham constituency centred on Bishop Auckland but extending far into the rural west of the county. It includes Shildon, West Auckland, Crook, Tow Law and Coundon, then reaches through Weardale to Barnard Castle and surrounding Teesdale communities. The seat therefore combines former industrial and railway towns with market towns, villages, farmland and extensive upland countryside. Bishop Auckland is the largest central settlement, while Barnard Castle provides an important centre in the south-west. Farther west, settlement becomes increasingly dispersed through the Durham Dales. The constituency’s geography is consequently much broader than its name alone suggests, stretching from the Bishop Auckland urban area into some of County Durham’s most rural landscapes.
Election data comes from UK Parliament. Turnout percentage is calculated by Project Open Gov from Parliament's turnout and electorate figures.
People and place
A population and household snapshot for Bishop Auckland, using validated House of Commons Library constituency datasets.
Estimated population94,708
EstimateMid-2024 estimate
Region / nationNorth East
Age profile
0 to 1718.3% · 17,367 people
18 to 247.2% · 6,815 people
25 to 3410.3% · 9,773 people
35 to 4916.5% · 15,671 people
50 to 6422.6% · 21,406 people
65 and over25.0% · 23,676 people
Population figures are mid-2024 estimates from the House of Commons Library. Project Open Gov calculates the estimated population shown above by summing the six published age-band counts. View population source ↗
Home ownership and renting
Housing tenure shows how households in this constituency described their home at the most recent census.
42,734 householdsCensus 2021
Home owners63.3% · 27,047 households
Private renters18.6% · 7,955 households
Social renters17.8% · 7,591 households
Other tenure0.3% · 141 households
“Other tenure” combines shared ownership and households recorded as living rent free.
Housing-tenure figures come from the most recent census: 2021 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2022 in Scotland. View housing-tenure source ↗
Household composition
A broad view of household types in this constituency. Project Open Gov uses the four broad groups supplied by the Commons Library so the presentation remains consistent across the UK.
42,732 householdsCensus 2021
One-person households34.7% · 14,827 households
Families with dependent children24.1% · 10,300 households
Other single-family households39.0% · 16,681 households
Other household types2.2% · 924 households
Household-composition figures come from the Commons Library constituency dataset. The source uses census data and Project Open Gov displays its broad household groups rather than attempting to harmonise the detailed categories itself. View household-composition source ↗
Disability and day-to-day activities
The source records whether day-to-day activities are limited and uses separate person-level tables for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
92,284 people in the source baseCensus 2021Source comparison: England & Wales
Day-to-day activities limited a lot10.7% · 9,842 people
Day-to-day activities limited a little12.7% · 11,716 people
Not disabled under the Equality Act76.6% · 70,726 people
Comparison note: the workbook uses different source terminology across the UK: England & Wales uses “Disabled under the Equality Act”, while Scotland and Northern Ireland use “Disabled” / “Non-disabled”. Project Open Gov therefore preserves the source categories and does not present them as one single like-for-like UK legal definition.
Disability figures come from the Commons Library constituency workbook. This profile uses the person-level tables only; the workbook also contains separate household-level disability tables which are not used here. View disability source ↗
Petitions
Open UK Government and Parliament petitions that have reached at least 10,000 signatures nationally, ranked here by the number of signatures recorded in this constituency.
Petition signatures are not a poll and do not show what the constituency as a whole thinks. A person can also sign more than one petition.
Open petitionCloses 6 September 2026
Ban anyone convicted of terrorism offences from standing for public office
Signatures in this constituency414
Signatures nationally206,593
Government response published · Debate scheduled for 6 July 2026
Signature counts come from the official UK Government and Parliament petitions data and may change while a petition remains open. Browse official petitions ↗
Funding and local projects
National Lottery grants awarded to organisations recorded in this parliamentary constituency since 4 July 2024.
The constituency is based on the recipient organisation recorded in the source data. The funded activity may sometimes take place across a wider area.
Grants recorded74
Total awarded£8,707,754
Most recent awards
National Lottery grantAwarded 9 June 2026
Extension 2027-28: Association for Cultural Enterprises
The Association for Cultural Enterprises
£215,133
Arts Council England · Arts
About this award
Extension 2027-28: Association for Cultural Enterprises - Not discipline specific - NPO 2023-26
National Lottery grantAwarded 21 May 2026
Mental Health and Well-being
Eric Knows CIO
£18,488
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Eric Knows CIO - Children & Young People - National Lottery Awards for All England
National Lottery grantAwarded 21 May 2026
Preserving North East Transport Heritage: Community-Driven Restoration Project
Northern National Restoration Group
£19,600
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Northern National Restoration Group - Community - National Lottery Awards for All England
National Lottery grantAwarded 20 May 2026
The Randolph Community Centre
The Randolph Community Centre Foundation Trust
£195,027
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
The Randolph Community Centre Foundation Trust - Community - RC North East and Cumbria Region
National Lottery grantAwarded 6 May 2026
TCR Hub Food Warriors
Teesdale Community Resources
£16,250
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Teesdale Community Resources - Environment - National Lottery Awards for All England
69 more awards are available.
Source: DCMS National Lottery Grants Database. The figures shown cover awards from 4 July 2024 to 1 July 2026. View official grants data ↗
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