Living in Sunderland

In Sunderland, tenants pay an average rent of €826 a month (2026).

The population of Sunderland totalled 168,315 at the end of 2021. The regional median gross salary was €2,803 per month at the end of 2024. At the end of 2018, unemployment in Sunderland reached 7.11%.

Last checked 2026-09-2318 sources

Population168,315people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics

Median gross salary (region)2,803EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Average rent825.9EUR/month31 Aug 2026Official source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority

Unemployment rate7.11%country median 3.4% — 109% aboveOfficial source · Eurostat

Recorded crime9,408incidents per 100,000country median 9,646 — 2% belowOfficial source · www.ons.gov.uk

PM2.5, annual mean9µg/m³31 Dec 2019Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency

Higher unemployment than 98% 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 Sunderland?

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 Sunderland.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

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

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€24

Mobile plan, 10 GB€13

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	24.02 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	BT Full Fibre 150¹Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	12.87 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Three 100GB one-month data pack¹⁷Official · national market
Rent price index, mean	825.9 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition¹⁶Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	825.9 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority¹³Official

Is Sunderland 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 worker46%strong on work, weak on safety · range 37–55%

Skilled employee55%strong on work, weak on safety · range 47–63%

Student42%strong on education, weak on work · range 35–49%

Family53%strong on family, weak on cost · range 45–61%

Retirement50%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 39–61%

Work and income

Employment rates for Sunderland measured 50.7% at the end of 2021. At the end of 2021, Sunderland recorded 70,495.

What is the unemployment rate in Sunderland?

The unemployment rate is about 7.1 % (2018).

Unemployment rate: 7.11 % · Eurostat⁴

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Sunderland is 7.1%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

652

263

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1216–18

Sunderland 7.1%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	50.7 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁸Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,803 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Office for National Statistics (ONS)¹⁰Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	7.11 %country median 3.4%	31 Dec 2018	Eurostat⁴Official

Unemployment rate over time7 published observations, 2004–2018

5.8%

8.4%

10.9%

13.5%

7.1%2004201120162018

Unemployment rate rose 9.7% between 2004 and 2018, from 6.5% to 7.1%.

What does a salary buy in Sunderland?

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

Left over each month€1,496of €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, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority · 2026-08-31	− €826
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	€1,496

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Sunderland Salary needed to live in Sunderland

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Sunderland. 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 Sunderland. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Primary schools	50 count	3 Aug 2026	Department for Education (GIAS)²Official
Schools	81 count	3 Aug 2026	Department 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; Sunderland's school authority applies it locally.

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

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
GP practices	47 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS GP Practices report (epraccur)⁶Official
Pharmacies	45 count	30 Sept 2026	ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary)⁷Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sunderland 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.

Safety

How safe is Sunderland?

Police recorded about 9,408 incidents per 100,000 (2026). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: www.ons.gov.uk¹⁸

Recorded crime across major citiesSunderland highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267

Bristol13,099

Liverpool12,409

Leeds11,462

Birmingham11,416

Leicester11,001

Sheffield9,693

Sunderland9,408

Cardiff9,379

Belfast9,156

Glasgow757

Edinburgh549

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	9,408 incidents per 100,000country median 9,646	27 Aug 2026	www.ons.gov.uk¹⁸Official

Mobility and administration

Sunderland's nearest airport was NCL, 25 km away and offered 49 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	49 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁴Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	25 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁵Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	NCL	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁵Official

Climate and air quality

The annual PM2.5 concentration measured 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2019.

Is the air quality good in Sunderland?

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

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.59WHO 5 · EU 25

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 Sunderland is 9.0 µg/m³. Of 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

211

487

200

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Sunderland 9.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	9 µg/m³	31 Dec 2019	European Environment Agency³Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 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 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁵Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -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 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁵Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan 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 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁵Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

Median age stood at 42 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Sunderland?

The published population was 168,315 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics⁹

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Population	168,315 people	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁹Official

International community in Sunderland

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 group	People	Share
Europe: United Kingdom	157,535	93.6%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)	7,560	4.5%
Europe: EU countries	3,220	1.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹²

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher	24.5 %	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁸Official
Workers aged 16 and over	70,495 workers	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁸Official
Median age	42 years	31 Dec 2021	Office for National Statistics⁸Official
Universities	1 count	3 Aug 2026	Office for Students¹¹Official

Alternatives for people set on Sunderland

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.

Bournemouth as a Sunderland alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Unemployment: 3.0% Bournemouth vs 7.1% Sunderland−58%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,455 Bournemouth vs 9,408 Sunderland−53%
Annual PM2.5: 11.0 µg/m³ Bournemouth vs 9.0 µg/m³ Sunderland+22%
Median gross pay, region: €2,970 Bournemouth vs €2,803 Sunderland+6%
Residents: 196,455 Bournemouth vs 168,315 Sunderland+17%

Full comparison More about Bournemouth

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

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

All United Kingdom cities

Slough166,855 residents Swansea170,085 residents Oxford170,805 residents Warrington174,970 residents Telford156,910 residents Southend-on-Sea182,305 residents

How does Sunderland compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Sunderland in rankings

#25 of 30 in Safest cities in United Kingdom by recorded crime

Put Sunderland'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 Sunderland?

The published population was 168,315 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Sunderland?

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 Sunderland?

Police recorded about 9,408 incidents per 100,000 (2026). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: www.ons.gov.uk.

What is the unemployment rate in Sunderland?

The unemployment rate is about 7.1 % (2018). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Sunderland?

The median gross salary is 2,803 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Is Sunderland a good place to live?

Sunderland 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.

How many people born in Europe: United Kingdom live in Sunderland?

The official country of birth distribution records 157,535 people (93.6%) 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). Sunderland, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 56dbe332f4fd74669b157640777ce516]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/sunderland/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sunderland-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary-jobs_f390446e718f,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Sunderland, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {56dbe332f4fd74669b157640777ce516},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/sunderland/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Sunderland, United Kingdom: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/sunderland/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 56dbe332f4fd74669b157640777ce516; 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

BT Full Fibre 150 bt.com · checked 2026-09-15
Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
ODS GP Practices report (epraccur) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
ODS Pharmacy/Dispensaries report (edispensary) odsdatasearchandexport.nhs.uk · checked 2026-09-15
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-07
Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06

Show 8 more sources

Office for Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, Table 1: average monthly rent price by local authority ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-23
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), UK: monthly price statistics, 16 September 2026 edition ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-18
Three 100GB one-month data pack three.co.uk · checked 2026-09-15
www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26

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