Town Pop. 3,415

Living in Buntingford: Liveability Score 42/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Buntingford is 42/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is broadband: 87/100 against a national town median of 60/100. Furthest below the national norm is safety, at 51/100 against a town median of 88/100.

That makes it the 2nd highest-scoring of the 4 places in the SG9 postcode district. On broadband specifically, Buntingford sits 62 points above the SG9 district figure of 25/100. That sits 8 points below the UK-wide average of 50, putting it in the middle half of the towns and villages we score. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the SG9 postcode district.

42
OUT OF 100
Below Avg
Score for:

Settlement area

The built-up area boundary and the postcodes its score is averaged from, each shaded by its own score. Clustered pins are other settlements. Tap one to view or compare it, or zoom in to reveal more.

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Each postcode is coloured by its own overall score on the default weighting. Scores are filled in as postcodes get searched on the site, so a blue dot just means that postcode hasn't been scored yet.

Buntingford scores 42 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Buntingford.
Or compare:
SG9 0AA SG9 9AA SG9

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
51
132.7 crimes per 1,000 residents · last 12 months Above the England & Wales average of 94.3
Crime rate vs national average · last 12 months
Violence and sexual offences 173 crimes
↑ 52% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 117 crimes
↑ 126% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 40 crimes
↑ 72% above national average
Shoplifting 32 crimes
↑ 21% above national average
Vehicle crime 19 crimes
↑ 17% above national average
other 72 crimes
Highest-crime locations
Loading map…
  1. 1 B1038 23 crimes
  2. 2 Chapel End 22 crimes
  3. 3 Cottered Road 21 crimes

Source: data.police.uk · England & Wales only

Environment
62
Air Quality NO₂ 6.3 · PM2.5 6.9 · PM10 12 µg/m³
72
Green Space 37
Parks Adequate 2
Sports Pitches Ample 13
Allotments Adequate 2
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 2
Bowling Greens Some 1
Playgrounds Ample 11

Services

Schools
36
5 schools in area · 6 within 4km
3Good1Requires Improvement1Ungraded
  • Edwinstree Church of England Middle SchoolSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Freman CollegeSecondary · inspected 2024
    Good
  • Millfield First and Nursery SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good
  • Layston Church of England First SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Requires Improvement
  • Buntingford First SchoolPrimary
    Ungraded

Ungraded: inspected, but Ofsted no longer issues a single overall grade (since Sept 2024).

Score reflects proximity-weighted access to rated schools within 4km: areas with more nearby schools score higher regardless of settlement boundary.

Healthcare
18
A&E departmentsLister Hospital7.9 mi
Princess Alexandra Hospital12.1 mi
Queen Elizabeth II Hospital12.9 mi
Hospital waitsRoyal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust6.3 mi
Routine referral (median)7 wks
Treated within 18 weeks78.1%
1 GP surgery in area best 'Requires improvement'
GP capacity2,039 patients per GP
1dentist2pharmacies

Score reflects proximity to CQC-rated GP surgeries and hospitals, not facility count. Dentists and pharmacies are shown for context but don't affect the score.

Broadband
87
Full fibre (FTTP)67.9%
available across East Hertfordshire
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
93.4%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
93.4%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
99.9%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 196 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
60
Employment rate58.6%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed58.6%Unemployed1.9%Retired26.4%Student3.6%Other inactive9.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial40.5%Skilled & technical37%Routine & elementary22.5%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications17.4%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)10.9%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)15.6%Level 3 (A levels)17.9%Level 4+ (degree & above)30.8%Apprenticeship5.3%Other (incl. vocational)2.1%
Home ownership70.8%
Around the England average for deprivation
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
47
Council tax East Hertfordshire · 2026-27
A £1,637
B £1,909
C £2,182
D £2,455
E £3,001
F £3,546
G £4,092
H £4,910
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band C
Water Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
16
Ashwell & Morden 7 mi
Royston 7.4 mi
Watton-at-Stone 7.5 mi
J9 A1(M) 7.8 mi
J9 A1(M) 8.1 mi
J8 A1(M) 8.5 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
27
Pubs & Bars Adequate 5
Restaurants & Cafes Some 2
Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 6
Retail Shopping Some 5
Takeaways Some 3
Fitness Adequate 3

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House Prices

Current median sale prices · last 12 months · England & Wales only

Type Median price Sales
All dwellings £445,000 53
Detached £597,500 18
Semi-detached £455,000 12
Terraced £390,000 17
5-year monthly trend
All Detached Semi Terraced
£334k £446k £561k £673k 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Source: HM Land Registry Price Paid Data (OGL v3.0)

Nearby places

Great Hormead 36 2.6 mi away ⇄
Cottered 32 2.6 mi away ⇄
Braughing 44 3.3 mi away ⇄
Barkway 36 4.0 mi away ⇄
Reed 35 4.2 mi away ⇄
Puckeridge and Standon 52 4.4 mi away ⇄
Old Hall Green 41 4.6 mi away ⇄
Walkern 39 5.0 mi away ⇄
Therfield 34 5.2 mi away ⇄
Benington 34 5.2 mi away ⇄
Dane End 43 5.3 mi away ⇄
Wellpond Green 46 5.7 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Buntingford a nice place to live?

Buntingford has some challenges compared to many UK areas. Our liveability score for Buntingford is 42/100, placing it among a below-average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Buntingford?

Buntingford has crime levels around the national average. Our safety score is 51/100. There were 453 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Buntingford?

Among the top-rated schools in Buntingford are Edwinstree Church of England Middle School, Freman College and Millfield First and Nursery School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 5 rated schools in Buntingford in total.

What are house prices like in Buntingford?

The current median house price in Buntingford is £445,000, around 56% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £597,500, semi-detached £455,000, terraced £390,000. Over the past five years, prices have fallen by around 6%. There were 53 sales recorded in the past 12 months.

Buntingford in context

See the best places to live in Hertfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Buntingford

SG9 38 ⇄

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