Whickham
Gateshead 017 · 5 sub-areas · 6,894 residents
Gateshead 017 is a settled, largely owner-occupied corner of Gateshead, home to around 6,900 people. A typical two-bedroom home lets for about £707 a month — well under the UK median for a 2-bed — and the area skews noticeably older than the wider Gateshead average, with over a third of residents aged 65 or above.
Whickham is a green, lower-density part of Gateshead — parks within walking distance of most addresses, a slower weekday rhythm, and a population skewed toward longer-tenure households rather than transient renters. The population skews older, with a long-settled feel and a high share of retirees; most homes are owner-occupied, so turnover is low and many residents have been here a long time.
Overview
What's it like to live in Whickham?
Greenspace is on the doorstep — a park or playing field is within walking distance of most homes; The streets feel safe by national standards — police-recorded crime is well below the country-wide median; rents are below the national norm, with a typical home letting at around £785 a month; gigabit broadband is effectively universal.
Generated from the latest May 2026 data · refreshed automatically
Figures are aggregated across 5 sub-areas — population-weighted means for rates, sums for counts. Sources cited beneath each section.
Whickham in Gateshead
Living in Whickham
This part of Gateshead has the feel of an established, residential area where people tend to stay put. Owner-occupation is exceptionally high — nearly nine in ten homes are owned outright or with a mortgage — which gives streets a stable, long-settled character quite different from the city's more transient rental pockets.
Rents are low by almost any UK yardstick. A two-bedroom property runs around £707 a month, a fraction of the national median and modest even by North East standards. That relative affordability, combined with a median house price of roughly £222,000, means saving a deposit is more achievable here than in most of England — the typical buyer needs around 3.8 years of savings, compared to six or seven years in many southern cities.
The population skews older. More than a third of residents are 65 or over, and the 50–64 age group is also well represented. Young professionals in their 20s and early 30s make up a smaller share than you'd find closer to the city centre. That age profile shapes the day-to-day feel: quieter streets, high levels of home ownership, and a lower proportion of private renters than almost anywhere in urban England.
Car ownership is high here — over half of residents commute by car — and the nearest rail station is roughly 2.75 km away (around a 35-minute walk, though most people drive). The nearest major employment hub is about two hours away by car or public transport, so this is an area that works best for those with flexible working arrangements or local employment. See the streets and sub-areas below for more.
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Frequently asked
- Is Gateshead 017 a nice place to live?
- It's a settled, low-crime residential area with very affordable housing and strong broadband. The trade-off is that it skews older, has limited public transport, and fewer than half of nearby schools are rated Good or Outstanding. If you value quiet streets, home ownership, and low running costs, it works well.
- What is the rent in Gateshead 017?
- A one-bedroom property averages around £578 a month, a two-bed around £707, and a three-bed roughly £823. These are estimates scaled from council-level data using local sale prices. Rents rose around 5.5% in the past year but remain well below UK national averages.
- Is Gateshead 017 safe?
- Yes, relatively. The crime rate is around 42 incidents per 1,000 residents a year — roughly half the UK national average. The area also sits in the ninth deprivation decile nationally, meaning it's among the least deprived neighbourhoods in England.
- What's the commute from Gateshead 017 to the city centre?
- Most residents drive — around 55% commute by car. The nearest mainline rail station is roughly 2.75 km away (about a 35-minute walk). Public transport use is low at around 4%, so if you don't drive, options are limited.
- Who lives in Gateshead 017?
- Predominantly older, long-settled owner-occupiers. Nearly 35% of residents are 65 or over, and over half are aged 50 or above. The private rental market is tiny at around 8%, and nearly 97% of residents were born in the UK.
- What schools are near Gateshead 017?
- There are 41 schools within typical catchment distance. Around 51% are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, which is below the national average of roughly 89%. It's worth checking individual school ratings directly before making a decision.