Town Pop. 91,983

Living in Hemel Hempstead: Liveability Score 58/100

Last updated 7 August 2026

Our overall score for Hemel Hempstead is 58/100, built from 9 categories. Its biggest lead over the typical UK town is schools: 74/100 against a national town median of 23/100. Safety falls furthest short: 42/100 where the typical UK town reaches 88/100.

No category drops below 42/100, which is unusual: most UK towns carry at least one clear weak spot. Its schools score runs 10 points above the HP1 district's 64/100. That is 8 points above the national benchmark of 50, the top 10% of all UK towns and villages. The same breakdown for the wider area is on the HP1 postcode district.

OUT OF 100

Average

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.

Hemel Hempstead scores 58 but individual postcodes tell the full story

See the exact score for any postcode, side by side with Hemel Hempstead.

Or compare:

HP1 1AB HP1 2AA HP1 3AA HP1 9EL HP1 HP2 HP3 WD4

Score breakdown

Safety & Environment

Safety

106.2 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 3,378 crimes

↑ 10% above national average

Anti-social behaviour 2,285 crimes

↑ 63% above national average

Other theft 798 crimes

↑ 40% above national average

Shoplifting 649 crimes

≈ similar to national average

Criminal damage and arson 605 crimes

≈ similar to national average

other 2,049 crimes

Highest-crime locations

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1 Parking Area 600 crimes
2 Supermarket 416 crimes
3 Petrol Station 231 crimes

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

Environment

Air Quality NO₂ 10 · PM2.5 7.4 · PM10 11.8 µg/m³

Green Space 57

Parks Ample 74

Sports Pitches Ample 45

Allotments Ample 16

Golf Courses Adequate 2

Tennis Courts Ample 25

Bowling Greens Adequate 3

Playgrounds Ample 41

Services

Schools

Top 10 by Ofsted rating · 45 in area

3Outstanding34Good1Requires Improvement7Ungraded

Dacorum Education Support CentreAlternative provision · inspected 2023
Outstanding
Roman Fields AcademyAlternative provision · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Woodfield SchoolSpecial · inspected 2024
Outstanding
Belswains Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2023
Good
Boxmoor Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2024
Good
Broadfield AcademyPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Chambersbury Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
Gade Valley Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2022
Good
George Street Primary SchoolPrimary · inspected 2021
Good
Hammond AcademyPrimary · inspected 2023
Good

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

Healthcare

A&E departmentsWatford General Hospital5.3 mi

Luton and Dunstable Hospital8 mi

Queen Elizabeth II Hospital10.1 mi

Hospital waitsWest Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust0.3 mi

Routine referral (median)11 wks

Treated within 18 weeks68.1%

A&E seen within 4 hrs89.9%

6 GP surgeries in area best 'Good'

GP capacity2,834 patients per GP

21dentists15pharmacies

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

Full fibre (FTTP)63.6%

available across Dacorum

Gigabit-capable · incl. cable

94.6%

Ultrafast (300+ Mbps)

95.2%

Superfast (30+ Mbps)

99%

Ofcom Connected Nations · 1,945 postcodes · full fibre at local-authority level

Economy & Bills

Economic Health

Employment rate63.2%

Above the Great Britain average of 57.3% of residents aged 16+

Economic activity (16+)

Employed63.2%Unemployed3%Retired19.1%Student3.6%Other inactive11.1%

Occupation mix

Professional & managerial41.1%Skilled & technical34.3%Routine & elementary24.6%

Highest qualification (16+)

No qualifications16.2%Level 1 (1–4 GCSEs)11.2%Level 2 (5+ GCSEs)14.7%Level 3 (A levels)16.5%Level 4+ (degree & above)33.6%Apprenticeship5.2%Other (incl. vocational)2.6%

Home ownership60.2%

Around the England average for deprivation

Census 2021/22 (Great Britain) · deprivation: IoD 2025 / SIMD

Bills

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 Southern 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

Hemel Hempstead 1.4 mi

Apsley 1.4 mi

Kings Langley 3.4 mi

J8 M1 2.6 mi

J20 M25 3.6 mi

J6A M1 3.7 mi

Lifestyle

Pubs & Bars Ample 34

Restaurants & Cafes Ample 48

Supermarkets & Convenience Ample 38

Retail Shopping Ample 166

Takeaways Ample 46

Fitness Ample 19

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House Prices

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

Type	Median price	Sales
All dwellings	£410,000	560
Detached	£647,500	80
Semi-detached	£500,000	111
Terraced	£408,000	228
Flat / Maisonette	£240,000	141

5-year monthly trend

All Detached Semi Terraced Flat

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Hemel Hempstead a nice place to live?

Hemel Hempstead is a decent place to live for many people. Our liveability score for Hemel Hempstead is 58/100, placing it among an average areas in the UK across nine categories: safety, schools, healthcare, environment, transport, broadband, lifestyle, economic health, and bills.

How safe is Hemel Hempstead?

Hemel Hempstead has above-average crime levels. Our safety score is 42/100. There were 9,764 crimes recorded in the area over the past 12 months.

What are the best schools in Hemel Hempstead?

Among the top-rated schools in Hemel Hempstead are Dacorum Education Support Centre, Roman Fields Academy and Woodfield School, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 45 rated schools in Hemel Hempstead in total.

What are house prices like in Hemel Hempstead?

The current median house price in Hemel Hempstead is £410,000, around 44% above the England and Wales average. By property type: detached £647,500, semi-detached £500,000, terraced £408,000, flat £240,000. Over the past five years, prices have risen by around 19%. There were 560 sales recorded in the past 12 months.