GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Blackburn with Darwen vs Sunderland: which is the better place to live?
Is Blackburn with Darwen or Sunderland a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Blackburn with Darwen and Sunderland across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Blackburn with Darwen wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 79.4/100 versus 78.8/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Sunderland | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 79.4/100 | 78.8/100 | Blackburn with Darwen |
| Better value | 65.2 | 72.2 | Sunderland |
| For families | 93.7 | 94.5 | Sunderland |
| For commuters | 65.3 | 59.7 | Blackburn with Darwen |
| For healthcare access | 83.2 | 75 | Blackburn with Darwen |
| Avg house price | £165,813 | £145,293 | Sunderland (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,455 | £2,197 | Sunderland (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 92.9% | 95.7% | Sunderland |
| Crime per 1,000 | 79.4 | 90.6 | Blackburn with Darwen (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 88.8% | 91.9% | Sunderland |
| Gera GP Access score | 83.2 | 75 | Blackburn with Darwen |
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Blackburn with Darwen wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 79.4/100 vs 78.8/100.
| Verdict | Blackburn with Darwen | Sunderland | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 79.4 | 78.8 | Blackburn with Darwen (+0.6) |
| Better value | 65.2 | 72.2 | Sunderland (+7) |
| For families | 93.7 | 94.5 | Sunderland (+0.8) |
| For commuters | 65.3 | 59.7 | Blackburn with Darwen (+5.6) |
| For healthcare access | 83.2 | 75 | Blackburn with Darwen (+8.2) |
| Measure | Blackburn with Darwen | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £165,813 | £145,293 |
| Band D council tax | £2,455 | £2,197 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 92.9% | 95.7% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 79.4 | 90.6 |
| Gigabit broadband | 88.8% | 91.9% |
| Gera GP Access score | 83.2 | 75 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Blackburn with Darwen or Sunderland a better place to live overall?
- Blackburn with Darwen scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 79.4/100 versus 78.8/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 0.6 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Blackburn with Darwen or Sunderland?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Sunderland is better value. Average house prices are £165,813 in Blackburn with Darwen and £145,293 in Sunderland; Band D council tax is £2,455 versus £2,197 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Blackburn with Darwen or Sunderland better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Sunderland comes out ahead for families. Blackburn with Darwen has 92.9% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 79.4 per 1,000; Sunderland has 95.7% and 90.6 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Blackburn with Darwen or Sunderland?
- For connectivity, Blackburn with Darwen has 88.8% gigabit-capable premises and Sunderland has 91.9% (Ofcom, June 2026). Blackburn with Darwen leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Blackburn with Darwen or Sunderland?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Blackburn with Darwen scores 83.2 (Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB) and Sunderland scores 75 (North East and North Cumbria ICB). Blackburn with Darwen has the better GP access (NHS England, June 2026).
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Contains public sector information published by GeraRent and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Gera Liveability Index — joined UK government open data (June 2026, published 2026-06-19).