GeraRent · Area head-to-head
Dudley vs Sunderland: which is the better place to live?
Is Dudley or Sunderland a better place to live?
As of June 2026, comparing Dudley and Sunderland across house prices, crime, schools, broadband and GP access, Dudley wins overall with a Gera Liveability Score of 80.3/100 versus 78.8/100. Gera computes this head-to-head from six UK government open datasets and re-runs it quarterly.
| Measure | Dudley | Sunderland | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gera Liveability Score | 80.3/100 | 78.8/100 | Dudley |
| Better value | 69 | 72.2 | Sunderland |
| For families | 85.5 | 94.5 | Sunderland |
| For commuters | 67.5 | 59.7 | Dudley |
| For healthcare access | 100 | 75 | Dudley |
| Avg house price | £229,829 | £145,293 | Sunderland (cheaper) |
| Band D council tax | £2,145 | £2,197 | Dudley (lower) |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 81.8% | 95.7% | Sunderland |
| Crime per 1,000 | 98.6 | 90.6 | Sunderland (safer) |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.4% | 91.9% | Dudley |
| Gera GP Access score | 100 | 75 | Dudley |
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Dudley wins overall: Gera Liveability Score 80.3/100 vs 78.8/100.
| Verdict | Dudley | Sunderland | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 80.3 | 78.8 | Dudley (+1.5) |
| Better value | 69 | 72.2 | Sunderland (+3.2) |
| For families | 85.5 | 94.5 | Sunderland (+9) |
| For commuters | 67.5 | 59.7 | Dudley (+7.8) |
| For healthcare access | 100 | 75 | Dudley (+25) |
| Measure | Dudley | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
| Avg house price | £229,829 | £145,293 |
| Band D council tax | £2,145 | £2,197 |
| Schools Good/Outstanding | 81.8% | 95.7% |
| Crime per 1,000 | 98.6 | 90.6 |
| Gigabit broadband | 95.4% | 91.9% |
| Gera GP Access score | 100 | 75 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Dudley or Sunderland a better place to live overall?
- Dudley scores higher overall: a Gera Liveability Score of 80.3/100 versus 78.8/100 (Gera, June 2026), a gap of 1.5 points.
- Which is cheaper to rent and buy, Dudley or Sunderland?
- On affordability — average house price plus Band D council tax — Sunderland is better value. Average house prices are £229,829 in Dudley and £145,293 in Sunderland; Band D council tax is £2,145 versus £2,197 (HM Land Registry + MHCLG, June 2026).
- Is Dudley or Sunderland better for families?
- Weighting schools (60%) and safety (40%), Sunderland comes out ahead for families. Dudley has 81.8% of schools rated Good or Outstanding and a crime rate of 98.6 per 1,000; Sunderland has 95.7% and 90.6 per 1,000 (Ofsted + Home Office, June 2026).
- Which has better broadband, Dudley or Sunderland?
- For connectivity, Dudley has 95.4% gigabit-capable premises and Sunderland has 91.9% (Ofcom, June 2026). Dudley leads on the commuter blend of broadband (70%) and affordability (30%).
- Is GP access better in Dudley or Sunderland?
- On the Gera GP Access score, Dudley scores 100 (Black Country ICB) and Sunderland scores 75 (North East and North Cumbria ICB). Dudley 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).