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Living in South Shields

South Shields had a population of 73,345 at the end of 2021. For South Shields, the regional median gross salary was €2,796 per month at the end of 2024. At the end of 2023, unemployment in South Shields reached 5.6%.

Last checked 2026-09-2424 sources

Population73,345people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary (region)2,796EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Average rent867.9EUR/month31 Aug 2026District figureOfficial source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price
Unemployment rate5.6%31 Dec 2023Regional figureOfficial source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Recorded crime9,664incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)
PM2.5, annual mean9µg/m³31 Dec 2019Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency

Higher unemployment than 92% of United Kingdom cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other United Kingdom city that publishes it.

Which United Kingdom-wide rules apply when you move to South Shields?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in South Shields.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for South Shields. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
South Shields recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€24
Mobile plan, 10 GB€13
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited24.02 EUR/month30 Sept 2026BT Full Fibre 1501Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB12.87 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Three 100GB one-month data pack15Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)867.9 EUR/month31 Aug 2026ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price11Official · county

Is South Shields a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker36%strong on work, weak on safety · range 25–47%
Skilled employee52%strong on work, weak on safety · range 42–62%
Student33%strong on education, weak on work · range 23–43%
Family59%strong on family, weak on cost · range 48–70%
Retirement50%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 36–64%

Work and income

Employment rates for South Shields measured 49.7% at the end of 2021. South Shields's working population was 30,005 at the end of 2021.

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in South Shields is 5.6%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate49.7 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,796 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)7Official · regional context
Unemployment rate5.6 %31 Dec 2023Office for National Statistics (ONS)8Official · regional context

What does a salary buy in South Shields?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €2,796 (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€1,454of €2,359 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,359
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price · 2026-08-31− €868
Internet€24 · official · BT Full Fibre 150 · 2026-09-30− €24
Mobile plan€13 · official · Three 100GB one-month data pack · 2026-09-30− €13
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€1,454
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in South Shields Salary needed to live in South Shields

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to South Shields. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in South Shields. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary schools21 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)2Official
Schools29 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)2Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; South Shields's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Safety

How safe is South Shields?

Police recorded about 9,664 incidents per 100,000 (2025-26). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)14

Recorded crime across major citiesSouth Shields highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with South Shields highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267
Bristol13,099
Liverpool12,409
Leeds11,462
Birmingham11,416
Leicester11,001
Sheffield9,693
Cardiff9,379
Belfast9,156
Coventry8,836
Glasgow757
Edinburgh549
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,664 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)14Official · county

Mobility and administration

South Shields's nearest airport was NCL, 17 km away and offered 49 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport49 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights12Official
Distance to the nearest major airport17 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)NCL3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official

Climate and air quality

South Shields recorded annual PM2.5 of 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2019.

Is the air quality good in South Shields?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency3

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in South Shields is 9.0 µg/m³. Of 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2019European Environment Agency3Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperatureJan 12.25 · Feb 13.25 · Mar 16.42 · Apr 18.11 · May 20.87 · Jun 22.03 · Jul 22.96 · Aug 22.54 · Sep 20.83 · Oct 20.3 · Nov 15.12 · Dec 12.84 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperatureJan -1.11 · Feb -1.16 · Mar -1.6 · Apr 0.85 · May 2.99 · Jun 6.21 · Jul 9.29 · Aug 8.86 · Sep 6.74 · Oct 3.11 · Nov 0.74 · Dec -1.75 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by monthJan 5.15 · Feb 4.92 · Mar 5.72 · Apr 7.54 · May 10.23 · Jun 13.02 · Jul 15.13 · Aug 15.15 · Sep 13.31 · Oct 10.77 · Nov 7.97 · Dec 5.9 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

South Shields's median age was 43 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in South Shields?

The published population was 73,345 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics6

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population73,345 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official

International community in South Shields

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Usual residents living in the individual ONS Built-up Area on Census Day 21 March 2021 · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom69,20094.3%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)3,0404.1%
Europe: EU countries1,1051.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher25.1 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Workers aged 16 and over30,005 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Median age43 years31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Universities0 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students9Official

Alternatives for people set on South Shields

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Tynemouth as a South Shields alternative in the same region

2 km away, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Unemployment: 3.6% Tynemouth vs 5.6% South Shields−36%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,176 Tynemouth vs 9,664 South Shields−15%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,113 Tynemouth vs €2,796 South Shields+11%
  • Residents: 60,605 Tynemouth vs 73,345 South Shields−17%
  • Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Tynemouth vs 9.0 µg/m³ South Shieldssame level
Full comparisonMore about Tynemouth

Crewe as a South Shields alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 221 km, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Unemployment: 2.7% Crewe vs 5.6% South Shields−52%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 6,099 Crewe vs 9,664 South Shields−37%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,320 Crewe vs €2,796 South Shields+19%
  • Residents: 74,120 Crewe vs 73,345 South Shields+1%
  • Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Crewe vs 9.0 µg/m³ South Shieldssame level
Full comparisonMore about Crewe

Cities near South Shields

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with South Shields, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities
Crewe74,120 residentsStafford71,690 residentsRossendale71,541 residentsRotherham71,535 residentsEast Kilbride75,310 residentsBarnsley71,405 residents

How does South Shields compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays South Shields's.

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in South Shields under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put South Shields's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in South Shields?

The published population was 73,345 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in South Shields?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2019) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency.

How safe is South Shields?

Police recorded about 9,664 incidents per 100,000 (2025-26). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3).

What is the typical salary around South Shields?

The median gross salary is 2,796 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is South Shields a good place to live?

South Shields may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near South Shields?

North Shields, Tynemouth, Jarrow, East Boldon, Whitley Bay are near South Shields. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Europe: United Kingdom live in South Shields?

The official country of birth distribution records 69,200 people (94.3%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). South Shields, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version dce5dce55e35fc9f5eb9a96c2ab0f5af]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/south-shields/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_south-shields-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary_adc227cb39da,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {South Shields, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {dce5dce55e35fc9f5eb9a96c2ab0f5af},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/south-shields/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[South Shields, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/south-shields/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version dce5dce55e35fc9f5eb9a96c2ab0f5af; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. BT Full Fibre 150 bt.com · checked 2026-09-15
  2. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  3. European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  4. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  5. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
  6. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  7. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  8. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  9. Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  10. ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
Show 14 more sources
  1. ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-24
  2. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-24
  5. Three 100GB one-month data pack three.co.uk · checked 2026-09-15
  6. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  7. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  8. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  9. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  10. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q1755020 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05

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