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Living in Sunderland

Sunderland is a city in the United Kingdom. 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%.

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 or cost figure is published for Sunderland yet. United Kingdom has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

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 % · Eurostat3
Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Sunderland is 7.1%. Of 1,007 cities with data, 657 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United Kingdom per band24 cities: 0% to under 2%240–2657 cities: 2% to under 4%6572–4265 cities: 4% to under 6%2654–649 cities: 6% to under 8%496–8Sunderland 7.1%7 cities: 8% to under 10%78–104 cities: 10% to under 12%410–121 city: 16% to under 18%116–18

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate50.7 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,803 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)7Official · regional context
Unemployment rate7.11 %country median 3.4%31 Dec 2018Eurostat3Official
Unemployment rate over time7 published observations, 2004–2018
Unemployment rate in Sunderland by year, %5.8%8.4%10.9%13.5%20042011201620187.1%%

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

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count50 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official
School Count81 count3 Aug 2026Department for Education (GIAS)1Official

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.uk12

Recorded crime across major citiesSunderland highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Sunderland highlighted14,267Manchester13,099Bristol12,409Liverpool11,462Leeds11,416Birmingham11,001Leicester9,693Sheffield9,408Sunderland9,379Cardiff8,836Coventry757Glasgow549Edinburghrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,408 incidents per 100,000country median 9,66927 Aug 2026www.ons.gov.uk12Official

Mobility and administration

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count49 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights10Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km25 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports11Official
Nearest Major Airport IataNCL3 Aug 2026OurAirports11Official

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 Agency2

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
Sunderland annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.0PM2.5µg/m³

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 864 cities with data, 448 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United Kingdom per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–428 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³284–5203 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³2035–6448 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³4486–7174 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³1747–88 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³88–91 city: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³19–10Sunderland 9.01 city: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³113–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2019European Environment Agency2Official · nearest-station reading
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 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
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -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

Cities of a similar size in United Kingdom

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United Kingdom cities
Slough166,855 residentsOxford170,805 residentsWarrington174,970 residentsTelford156,910 residentsSouthend-on-Sea182,305 residentsSwindon183,680 residents

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 Statistics6

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population168,315 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics6Official

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 groupPeopleShare
Europe: United Kingdom157,53593.6%
Non-EU countries (including British Overseas)7,5604.5%
Europe: EU countries3,2201.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9

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 worker40%strong on work, weak on housing · range 29–51%
Skilled employee53%strong on work, weak on housing · range 44–62%
Student54%strong on education, weak on housing · range 45–63%
Family51%strong on family, weak on housing · range 42–60%
Retirement48%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 35–61%
Population168,315 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Employment rate50.7 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary (regional)2,803 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Unemployment rate7.11 %31 Dec 2018Official source · Eurostat
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2019Official source · European Environment Agency
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents9,408 incidents per 100,00027 Aug 2026Official source · www.ons.gov.uk
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct24.5 %31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus70,495 workers31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Median age42 years31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics5Official
Universities1 count3 Aug 2026Office for Students8Official

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.

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: EU countries live in Sunderland?

The official country of birth distribution records 3,220 people (1.9%) 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, September 14). Sunderland, United Kingdom: salary, jobs, safety, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/sunderland/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sunderland-united-kingdom-salary-jobs-safety-climate_35d806271a15,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Sunderland, United Kingdom: salary, jobs, safety, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  snapshot = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/sunderland/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Sunderland, United Kingdom: salary, jobs, safety, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/sunderland/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

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. Department for Education (GIAS) get-information-schools.service.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  2. European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  3. Eurostat ec.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 Students officeforstudents.org.uk · checked 2026-08-03
  9. ONS Census 2021 BUA row and ONS/OS BUA 2022 geometry for Abbots Langley and Kings Langley ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-07-06
  10. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
Show 2 more sources
  1. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  2. www.ons.gov.uk ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.