Town Pop. 268

Living in Friar's Wash: Liveability Score 26/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Friar's Wash scores 26/100 overall, across 9 scored categories. Economic health is where Friar's Wash most outperforms the national norm: 94/100 against a median of 67/100 across UK towns. The biggest shortfall against other towns is safety: 19/100 versus a median of 88/100.

That places it last of the 6 scored places in the AL3 postcode district. Its categories are unusually uneven: 91 points separate economic health (94) from healthcare (3), a wider spread than about nine in ten UK towns. It scores 32 points below the AL3 postcode district as a whole, which averages 58/100. Wider context for the surrounding area: AL3 postcode district.

26
OUT OF 100
Poor
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.

Friar's Wash scores 26 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Friar's Wash.
Or compare:
AL3 4AA AL3 5AB AL3 6AA AL3 7AA AL3 8AA AL3

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety
19
772.4 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 61 crimes
↑ 583% above national average
Anti-social behaviour 43 crimes
↑ 955% above national average
Other theft 38 crimes
↑ 2187% above national average
Criminal damage and arson 21 crimes
↑ 1053% above national average
Vehicle crime 17 crimes
↑ 1221% above national average
other 27 crimes
Highest-crime locations
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  1. 1 Old Watling Street 94 crimes
  2. 2 Chequers Hill 55 crimes
  3. 3 Valley Lane 10 crimes

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

Environment
58
Air Quality NO₂ 8.384 · PM2.5 7.259 · PM10 13.214 µg/m³
69
Green Space 33
Parks None
Sports Pitches Adequate 2
Allotments None
Golf Courses None
Tennis Courts Some 1
Bowling Greens None
Playgrounds None

Services

Schools
14
1 school in area · 8 within 4km
1Good
  • Flamstead Village SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
    Good

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

Healthcare
3
A&E departmentsLuton and Dunstable Hospital5 mi
Queen Elizabeth II Hospital10.1 mi
Lister Hospital11.2 mi
Hospital waitsWest Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust2.8 mi
Routine referral (median)11 wks
Treated within 18 weeks68.1%
A&E seen within 4 hrs89.9%
Nearest GP surgeryDr Khalid Mirza2.9 mi
GP capacity2,064 patients per GP
0dentists0pharmacies

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
10
Full fibre (FTTP)63.6%
available across Dacorum
Gigabit-capable · incl. cable
27%
Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)
27%
Superfast (30+ Mbps)
80.3%
Ofcom Connected Nations · 10 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health
94
Employment rate60.5%
Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+
Economic activity (16+)
Employed60.5%Unemployed2.1%Retired23.8%Student5.1%Other inactive8.6%
Occupation mix
Professional & managerial54.1%Skilled & technical35.2%Routine & elementary10.7%
Highest qualification (16+)
No qualifications10.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)8.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)12.4%Level 3 (A levels)17%Level 4+ (degree & above)46.2%Apprenticeship4.5%Other (incl. vocational)1.5%
Home ownership81.7%
Among the least-deprived 28% of areas in England
Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD
Bills
57
Council tax Dacorum · 2026-27
A £1,606
B £1,874
C £2,141
D £2,409
E £2,944
F £3,480
G £4,015
H £4,818
Energy Eastern England region
Typical bill regional £1,641/yr
Ofgem price cap, GB average · Apr–Jun 2026
Typical home efficiency local EPC band D
Water Affinity Water
Average bill regional £490/yr
Combined water & sewerage · GB average £520

Transport

Transport
21
Harpenden 3.3 mi
Luton Airport Parkway 3.7 mi
Luton DART Parkway 3.7 mi
J9 M1 0.5 mi
J9 M1 0.7 mi
J10 M1 1.7 mi

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
18
Pubs & Bars None
Restaurants & Cafes Some 2
Supermarkets & Convenience None
Retail Shopping None
Takeaways None
Fitness Adequate 2

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House Prices

Not enough recent sales

Fewer than 10 sales were recorded in Friar's Wash in the last 12 months, which isn't enough for a reliable median. Smaller villages often fall below this in any given year. Figures come from HM Land Registry Price Paid data and are updated monthly, so this may fill in later.

Nearby places

Flamstead 32 0.5 mi away ⇄
Kinsbourne Green 50 1.4 mi away ⇄
Markyate 33 1.7 mi away ⇄
Redbourn 43 2.0 mi away ⇄
Slip End 51 2.1 mi away ⇄
Caddington 56 3.1 mi away ⇄
Harpenden 65 3.3 mi away ⇄
Oldhill Wood 0 3.6 mi away ⇄
Kensworth 35 3.9 mi away ⇄
Holywell (Central Bedfordshire) 43 4.3 mi away ⇄
Lea Valley 59 4.6 mi away ⇄
Hemel Hempstead 58 5.0 mi away ⇄

Frequently asked questions

Is Friar's Wash a nice place to live?

Friar's Wash scores below average as a place to live. Our liveability score for Friar's Wash is 26/100, placing it among one of the lower-scoring areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Friar's Wash?

Crime levels in Friar's Wash are high relative to the national average. Our safety score is 19/100. There were 207 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Friar's Wash?

Among the top-rated schools in Friar's Wash is Flamstead Village School, rated Good by Ofsted. There are 1 rated schools in Friar's Wash in total.

Friar's Wash in context

See the best places to live in Hertfordshire, ranked

Postcode districts in Friar's Wash

AL3 58 ⇄

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